Tainted Reflections
by ShingetsuMoon
Summary: Sequel to Shattered Mirror. Nine months have passed since The World was destroyed. CC Corp is gone and the world is reeling from the Third Network Crisis. Can G.U. stop Aihane? Or do they have no choice but to use the Epitaph's in a full scale cyber war?
1. Preparations

Time-line Update: Nine months later, Friday August 9th

**AN:** This is a direct sequel to Shattered Mirror and it is highly recommended that you read that story first before attempting to make sense of this one. If you have already read the prequel then thanks for coming back!

Chapter 1: Preperations

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><p>"How are we doing with the Chinese government?"<p>

"They have agreed to crack down on all access to the internet inside their borders and closely monitor all major firewalls as well as government, military and nuclear networks."

"Keeping things from people has never been a problem for them. How about Russia and the United States?"

"They are actually cooperating very well with each other and both are mobilizing private sector A.I. units. Russia is going to monitor incoming and outgoing information and the United States will do the same in more of a blanket measure since there are so many more people and businesses to cover. Tomonari and Magus have been dispatched to present their case to the American government as well as the NAB. Niketas has flown to the Moscow where he will meet with representatives from their government. Your own flight to America is scheduled for late Sunday night where you will join him and discuss forming an alliance. Once you leave, Chigusa will stay here to oversee operations," the aid speaking flipped through the electronic pages on her tablet quickly as Ryou stood there overlooking the operation.

"What about Kaoru?"

"He has just landed in South Africa with Rhodesia where, with Macha's help, they will be making a thorough inspection of the latest military and private robotics facility there Cape Town. Then they will be moving north to visit Lagos, Nigeria and then to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia before finally visiting Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The facilities there are already well established and making great progress in making drones and other practical machines, robots, and other robotics," she said breathlessly.

"Akira and Sentou?"

"Umm, she paused and scanned through the tablet for a moment before answering. "Akira went with Tomonari to act as a bodyguard and provide extra security, while Sentou went with Niketas to do the same," she replied and took a deep breath.

Ryou nodded and leaned forward so the retina scanner could read his eye.

Cleared for entry. Welcome Ryou Misaki an electronic voice calmly intoned.

Looking over his shoulder he flashed his aide an impatient look when she hesitated to enter the area where G.U. did all of their work. As a normal assistant she had never been in here before. Now she that she had been assigned to help Ryou though it was as if a whole new world had been opened to her and it clearly showed in her hurried and eager-to-please manner.

All around the room, the walls, and the floor were blue lines that were glowing softly in the dim lighting. Most everyone who worked here used M2D's so money wasn't wasted on providing bright lighting. Embedded in these blue lines were embedded with high resolution, fiber optic cameras that were watching and recording their every move.

The actual company known as CC Corp had dissolved just over a month after the destruction of The World. It hadn't taken long for the authorities to figure out that the source of the planet-wide blackout had originated from their Japanese servers. Once the news came out a massive sell off had occurred in the stock market and their value plummeted to barely nothing. They filed for bankruptcy but considering their history no one was stupid enough to get involved with them. At the same time as the bankruptcy announcement the NAB had presented CC Corp with stringent threats for their obvious violations as well as private reports that had been exposed online for everyone to see by websites such as Wikileaks as well as the now more organized group of hackers known as Anonymous. Both were individual groups that had come together and started working in association with one another a couple years ago when Anonymous started becoming more organized with its members and making rules and regulations to guide their actions.

Several employees as well as the highest members had been arrested and CC Corp ultimately was dissolved and all information pertaining to it handed over to G.U. which was not only continuing to operate, but was in fact thriving.

Ever since the destruction of The World there had been plenty of debate by the NAB council as to whether the Epitaphs should be allowed to remain free considering how big a threat they were to international security. Rhodesia made the argument that they were highly temperamental beings with major trust issues. The fact that they were willing to still be in association with the NAB at all was a miracle in and of itself considering how they had been treated in the past. Niketas also had argued in favor of working with the Epitaph's and their Users to create a separate group under the official name of G.U. to handle all matters associated with the tracking, investigation, and ultimate capture or take down of the man known only by the name Aihane.

Plenty of A.I.'s had been placed under their direct command as well as a contingent of drones, robots, and other machines that could be used at will and operated as they saw fit. Kisho and Ren had been assigned to work with them on a permanent basis and now lived on site along with the other remaining Epitaph Users. The shop they ran in Akihabara was still operating since it also served as a center for fellow G.U. hackers to pick up parts, hardware, computers and to hand deliver information that they couldn't trust to be delivered via internet channels. It was hidden in plain sight amongst hundreds if not thousands of other shops.

The small secretive group was now a full time operation. Thanks to some creative maneuvering and bidding by the Epitaphs themselves the G.U. group was now only one final vote away from being fully autonomous and independent. The Network Administration Bureau was fighting against it, but was rapidly losing the battle. Whichever group the Epitaphs supported would ultimately stand superior. On paper both the NAB and G.U. were of equal weight and standing internationally. In reality the remaining Avatar's with Skeith as their ring leader were more powerful then all of the world's government safeguards put together. Whether it was a computer system, human personnel, or A.I.'s there was nothing created so far that had been able to hinder them or keep them from entering and taking _whatever _they wanted.

In light of this fact the NAB had tried to seduce the Avatar's away from G.U. but had met with rather embarrassing results. After numerous denials made through their respective human partners the Epitaphs had finally stopped answering them altogether. They had tried to sweet talk Tomonari away with promises of higher pay and a better position, but Magus had responded personally by planting a virus on their biggest computer system. It even included a chibi picture of himself sticking his tongue out. It had paralyzed their operations for over a week and they finally had to call G.U. and ask for help. Magus removed the virus and no one from the NAB had contacted them since.

Ryou dismissed his aide and she bowed deeply before running off to take care of other matters. It was amazing to think of how far he had come since last year. He had gone from an average teenager to being an Epitaph User and now to one of the most dangerous people in the entire world. That was due primarily to Skeith and he wouldn't trade his partner for anything or anyone else in the world.

Niketas had trained all of them not only in handling hand weapons, but high powered weapons as well the workings and operations of tanks, airplanes, jets, helicopters, drones and countless other military machines. The last few had mostly been for the benefit of the Avatar's although Chigusa of all people had shown the greatest proficiency for running, operating, creating, fixing, and building machines. She always got embarrassed whenever someone brought it up. Reiko proved to be an expert sharpshooter and sniper. She trained mercilessly; every free moment was taken up and Ryou knew that she was doing it so that she wouldn't have time to think about Tarvos being gone.

Tomonari and Magus had both turned into the best computer programmers around. For his part Ryou could do everything else just fine, but he wasn't especially good at it. Instead his forte was hacking and information gathering. If there was _anything_ at all to be discovered then he would sniff it out with mechanical precision. He had a knack for discovering exactly the information they needed and seeing how everything fit together. Working alongside Kisho and Ren had proven to be a very smart decision.

Ryou had matured a lot in these past few months, but his arrogance hadn't faded in the least. His appearance had also changed and his hair was now jet black instead of light brown. It was shaggy and hung down around his face more. Most noticeable were his crimson eyes which served as clear evidence of Skeith's influence. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between the human and the A.I.

"My, my, the Prince of Darkness lives. To what do we owe the pleasure my Lord?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ryou looked over to see Ren sitting there with a lollipop in her mouth. She had dyed her hair a smoky gray with dark blue streaks and it was styled into a big faux hawk at the moment. He should have known it was either her or Kisho talking to him in such a sarcastic manner.

"I'm actually getting some work done... unlike _you_," he fired back.

Ren grinned and waved her hand flippantly. "Details, details. Besides I'm running a security search of all G.U. servers to make sure there are no breaches then Kisho and I have a job from some Arabian prince. Apparently AIDA fragments have been leaving traces on his personal computer and he's worried that his business operations may have been compromised," she said waving a sheet of papers at him.

"Let me guess he's the heir to some giant oil operation?"

"Duh, what else would it be? Electric, hybrid, and alternative fuel cars are more popular now but that doesn't mean oil isn't still valuable. What's most interesting is that this oil is blended into a very special type of fuel..." Ren paused and handed the papers to him.

Raising an eyebrow Ryou took it and scanned through the proposal to see if there was anything special he needed to know. Two words caught his eye: _military grade fuel_. Why would Aihane be interested in a Saudi Arabian prince's supply of high grade military fuel? It would go directly towards fueling jets, military helicopters, tanks, and other machines which needed a special blend in order to function at maximum efficiency.

_I'll look into his business operations and see who exactly he is supplying this oil to, where he keeps his money and what allegiances he currently holds internationally, _Skeith said automatically without having to be asked. By the end of the day Ryou would know every last detail of this man's life. Everyone had secrets, it was just a matter of finding out what they were.

So far everything was going smoothly. If only they could find Masato and Shino. Rhodesia had finally admitted to them that she had been helping them take shelter in the northern city of Kori, but after an arsonist set fire to the house they were staying at she had lost track of them. That was what she _claimed _anyway. Ryou had wanted to press for information but Skeith told him to drop the matter. When asked why the Epitaph said that Innis was the one who told him to let it go and while Skeith was suspicious he did trust her. Chigusa would always squirm when Ryou brought up the subject and finally she had told him one day that the less people who were aware of their location the safer they would be. After thinking for a while Ryou took the hint and decided to let it go.

Thinking about his girlfriend brought another matter to mind. Chigusa had spoken to her siblings and told them about how Innis had discovered their birth father working at the Chiba hospital. After discussing the matter they had all agreed that it would be best not to contact him further. If Aihane found out then he wouldn't hesitate to use the man against them and now more then ever they needed to focus on their work and on tracking him down. This was no time to be distracted.

Shaking his head firmly Ryou took a deep breath to clear his thoughts. _No time to be distracted is right. While Skeith is preparing his report I have other matters to look into, _he considered as his thoughts turned to Iori the former User of Gorre. Though just a kid he still had been able to help them by gathering pieces of information that otherwise might go unnoticed. Small bits of news that they didn't have time to comb through and examine. Fragments that they didn't have time to piece together due to their lower importance in the grand scheme of things. Iori had been assigned a personal A.I. that would send encrypted reports back to G.U. whenever he found something. However, Ryou had gotten quite the surprise when Iori say that he wanted to meet in person to hand over his latest report. The fact that he didn't want to send it electronically or ask for a messenger to deliver showed that it must be something of great importance.

Turning to Ren he stated, "I'm going out. Tell Kisho that I'll be back later so he can give Skeith and I our final lesson."

"Want me to polish your shoes and iron your clothes while you're gone too?"

"Just deliver the message."

"Yes sir master sir. I live only to obey your commands."

* * *

><p>A mischievous giggle drifted through the air as the poor man slammed into another mirror. Frowning he backed up and looked around, but everywhere he looked he could see nothing but his own reflection due to the hall of mirror's surrounding him. He walked to his right but a mirrored panel slammed in his face as two more swung open behind him. More laughter echoed throughout the hallways.<p>

Chigusa looked up and frowned when she saw what Innis was doing. Both of them were in the Epitaph's personal area. Each Phase had one on the network of G.U. servers and all were customized to reflect their personal tastes and methods of conveying or receiving information. Macha and Magus shared an area that was split into a carefully tended garden and a large forest. In the garden each piece of news and every person Macha wanted to follow and keep track of was displayed as some type of plant or flower. Aihane was manifested as a barbed and highly poisonous vine that had extended its clutches all throughout the area grabbing and letting go of different things all the time. It was constantly moving and had tendrils everywhere. A perfect description Chigusa thought. Meanwhile, Magus was more interested in companies, organizations, or different places on the network itself. Whether it was the NAB, various terrorist groups, a company, a website, or different servers all were represented by something.

Skeith's personal area also served as their meeting place and was a castle with endless hallways and rooms. Innis personal area was an ever changing labyrinth that included a hall of mirrors which reflected people and a maze of staircases to represent organizations. Both changed and shifted along with the world scene. The mirrors would shift and move while the staircases would stretch, weave, and curl up and around others. Sometimes connecting, sometimes going right past them. It was a maddening place that was nevertheless a fitting place for the Second Phase now known as _The Illusionist_.

"Come on Innis just let him through," she said sternly.

Innis looked over with the same stitched together grin she always wore. "No way, he doesn't need to be here. If he has a message then he needs to give it to _you _not to me. Conversing with humans like him is pointless," she said with disinterest as she flicked her hand and changed the entire area at once. She laughed again when the man threw his hands up in frustration and finally logged out. The fusion of Innis and her AIDA counterpart Dendeira had changed the Epitaph's personality quite a bit. While she had usually been the kind one always ready to provide a helping hand now Innis spoke in riddles and delighted in confusing others. She was a master of words and her silver tongue had left many confused. Any knowledge or intelligence she had wasn't given away freely and she had become a bona fide legend on the network just like all Epitaphs. All kindness had been stripped away and those who got on Innis' bad side found out that her swords weren't just there for show.

It was only when they were alone or with Skeith and Ryou that Innis old personality would emerge again.

_But I can't say anything. My personality has changed as well, _Chigusa sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them them a mirror was floating in front of her showing her reflection. Her black hair was still long and was currently braided into cornrows thanks to a girls night out last week with Rhodesia, Ren, and Reiko. Her eyes had changed from dark brown to a cool aqua. Her confidence had gotten a huge boost thanks to excelling at her training regimen and Ryou's kind influence. Most of all it was thanks to her partner Innis. Looking up she saw the Avatar looking down at her.

"We've both changed and it's for the better. You're not the same person you were a few months ago and I say that's a good thing. Now that you are free of your adoptive parent's you are free to be whoever _you_ want to be. No one can tell you otherwise," Innis said but the wicked glimmer in her eyes said she'd love to get a hold of anyone who dared to do so. Chigusa nodded and looked back at her reflection. Lately she had been changing fashion styles the way Ren changed hairstyles. Currently it was more of a pseudo cyber punk look. While living with her adoptive parents she had been tied down to whatever they felt was "proper". Never before had she had the freedom to wear whatever she wanted. Ryou said he didn't mind what she wore so long as she didn't dress up like one of those gyaru or ganguro girls in which case he was breaking up with her. The memory of that discussion still made her grin.

"He probably thinks you look beautiful no matter what you wear," Innis said coyly and snapped her fingers. The mirror swirled away into a mist as Chigusa smiled shyly. Blushing all the time was a habit she had finally been able to conquer. A small ping announced the arrival of a message that Innis immediately opened.

"See? I told you that guy would send a message. You are 'wanted in conference room Delta 5 to discuss the progress of your current endeavor.' Why can't they just say upfront that they want to know how you're coming on your latest military defense robot? I don't see the point in all this secrecy when someone could just have tapped you on the shoulder and said the same thing," Innis hissed as her fingers danced impatiently.

"Well I have to agree with that one. It shouldn't take very long so why don't you work out the bugs on the new A.I. you and Magus were working on in the meantime? We're going to need it to be perfect if its going to operate the new machine I'm trying to build," Chigusa ordered and Innis tipped her hat to show that she would get on it. Most of the A.I.'s floating around the network today had been born during the golden years when Aura was still actively a part of The World. Now very few new one's showed up and those that did often were bugged and needed serious reformatting.

Thankfully it hadn't taken long to discover that Magus had the ability to create new A.I.'s from random bits of data. Perfectly formed, intelligent, and highly advanced A.I's at that. All of which fell under the jurisdiction of G.U. since Magus himself had created them. Yet another reason why the NAB disliked them so much.

Innis had also been working together with Chigusa to create new machines for both military, private, and public use. Chigusa didn't like the idea of creating machines that would go out and kill people so each A.I. had a built in command to avoid killing humans whenever possible. So far it had been working out wonderfully. More terrorists for the government to interrogate and prosecute.

_I didn't plan for that but you can't have everything,_ Chigusa thought as she logged off the server. Pulling the M2D off her head she pushed back from her computer desk and stood up. The latest line of machines she and Innis had created was highly classified. No one else on earth had seen them yet aside from Ryou, but she showed him everything and he did the same with her. These would be far different from anything she had done before. Each one would be going to a different country and the A.I.'s would serve there as undercover spies.

_So far not a single A.I. Magus has created has turned against us. I don't even know if they can. Either way I hope that holds out and they can accomplish their mission. There's no telling when a government might turn and try to ally itself with Aihane in order to get ahead or to try and spare itself possible danger,_ Chigusa thought with a frown. On one hand she could understand countries looking out for their own interests, but on the other hand now that Aihane had four Avatars, three of which were in their final forms, there was no telling what he was capable of.

* * *

><p>Shino sighed and checked the GPS to make sure they were traveling north through Hokkaido. Traveling with a pack of military machines wasn't easy after all. Especially since very few of them could be convinced to stay behind. The helicopters, jets, and other flying drones had agreed to catch up later when they were out to sea on the aircraft carrier <em>Kyodaina Nami<em>. The tanks had reluctantly followed at a distance through back roads or occasionally blazing their own mountain path when there wasn't a road big enough for them to drive on without being seen by the general populace. Rhodesia was helping to cover their trail and since all Japanese surveillance satellites were now controlled by an A.I. created by Magus it was a simple task to keep the other branches of government out of the loop.

However, all of the smaller machines and drones had determinedly come along saying that "Aura might need protection." Most of them were packed into the three tractor trailers rumbling along behind them. The semi's themselves had to be stripped of all military markings and their windows blacked out so that other drivers wouldn't realize there was nobody inside. Most cars these days could drive themselves once a destination was punched into the GPS unit, but the law said that a licensed driver still had to be in the vehicle at all times. If they got pulled over by the police they would be in big trouble.

Looking back Shino stared into the bed of the pickup truck, but of course it there was a black tarp stretched and tied down across the top. The tailgate was up as well to hide Aura's new robot body from any curious passerby. Turning back around she tried to settle in her seat but within seconds had turned back around to look. A small chuckle came from Masato who reached over and grabbed her hand. "Don't worry so much. Aura is doing just fine and as long as we keep to the speed limit then there's no reason for the police or authorities to stop us. Not to mention avoiding any army bases as well. If we do that then they'll have no reason to search any of the trucks," he reminded her and Shino grunted and turned around, but didn't say anything.

Aura would bang against the bed of the truck if she needed to get their attention for any reason. She had been quiet for several hours and Masato was taking that as a good sign while Shino worried that something _must _have gone wrong.

"If something was wrong the other drones would let us know as would Rhodesia who is only a phone call away. We'll be fine as long as we keep moving," he reminded, but her only response was to frown more deeply. This whole trip she had been acting funny and her attitude had only worsened in the past few days. No matter what Masato did or said he couldn't snap her out of the funk she was in. Every overture he made only seemed to worsen her attitude so finally he had resulted to just leaving her alone whenever possible. Shino was never one to hide things from him. When she wanted to talk he was always the first person she would go to.

It had taken what seemed like forever before they had finally be able to leave the decommissioned military base they had been at. When Aura had first downloaded most of her data into the robot body she was currently inhabiting she wanted to make preparations and then leave right away. In fact they had been all ready to move out when Rhodesia called them up and said that they wouldn't be going anywhere. Aura had argued with her for several minutes before Rhodesia made the point that no matter how impatient they were because the _Kyodaina Nami _wasn't leaving its patrolling mission for another seven months after which it would spend another month in port at Okinawa to report back, refuel, be assigned a new mission plan, and receive a thorough mechanical check before leaving for the Arctic Ocean. When it left Okinawa and traveled up the coast of Japan it would bush by Hokkaido at its closest point and that's when they'd have the best opportunity to board it without anyone noticing as it was customary for the ocean going vessel to make a layover of a couple days to do a complete self analysis before heading out to parts of the world where it would take days or weeks for help to arrive should a mechanical or computer error occur.

If they left right away and Aura ordered the vessel to turn around then that action would immediately alert the Navy to the fact that something was wrong and they would track the signal's origin and be on them before they could take another breath. Their present plan would result in disaster within a few days. That didn't even factor the Kraken into the equation. All the alarms were going to go off when the Kraken met up with the mobile naval base. Once they met up and Aura moved her robot body over they would have to scramble Masato and Shino off before the Japanese military came and arrested them.

Aura was clearly frustrated and had fallen silent at this logical explanation. Rhodesia had grabbed the reins after that and told them to stay where they were. She would reroute the electricity and water usage through various local channels so the power companies wouldn't notice that a decommissioned base was suddenly using more power than it had been for the previous few years. Every two weeks they would receive a shipment of supplies with a different day and time for each shipment. They would stay put and not leave the base for any reason. No going into town. No talking to the locals. No taking the drones out for a test drive. Nothing. They sat there and stayed put until the _Kyodaina Nami _was ready to go.

Now they were _finally_ on the move and Masato couldn't be more relieved, but the stress on Shino only seemed to be mounting up. Glancing over he saw her toss a few pills in her mouth before grabbing a nearby water bottle and taking a swig of it. She was definitely stressed out more than she had been these past months with nothing to do but talk to the drones and monitor the latest news reports.

Either way they would be far out to sea in a few weeks. Maybe her mood would clear up then.

* * *

><p>Sentou stood calmly next to the door while Niketas spoke to various heads of each branch of the Russian government and military. He already knew some English thanks to lessons during school and he had learned enough Russian to get by but not nearly enough to fathom all the technical terms they were using now.<p>

Since there was nothing else to do and he could only understand half of what was going on Sentou decided to keep his thoughts busy at least. He was a bodyguard and it was his responsibility to keep Niketas safe even though he was already trained in several styles of martial arts and fully capable of defending himself.

There were two large guns strung on one side, two pistols hidden just under his arms, a taser behind his back, a hunting knife in one of his boots, concussion gel hidden in a compartment in the bottom of one shoe and a fuse and lighter in the other, perfect for blowing up small objects or locks. An electronic code cracker in the form of small USB flash drive and several small blank SD cards for holding any information they may deem necessary to 'liberate' while they were here in Moscow. Sentou had been fully trained in martial arts and several other native forms of self defense both with weapons and without. Both he and Akira had received extensive physical and mental training in addition to working with weapons and the basics of spying and gathering information.

At first he had despised working with G.U. Hated them for the way Niketas had twisted their arms and forced them into submission and now... well things hadn't changed much. Although he did like his new muscles and improved stamina. No longer was he huffing and puffing after half a mile of running.

_G.U... Niketas... Rhodesia... all of them can rot for all I care, but for some reason the remaining Epitaph's trust them and without their power all other efforts against Aihane are worthless, _Sentou pursed his lips and crossed his arms. His eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses which featured a direct uplink to G.U. Any messages he need to see would appear in the lenses like a little computer screen floating in front of him. Right now there was nothing to see, but it was a convenient way to keep in contact with G.U. and to receive updated mission information.

Still the lingering resentment he felt couldn't completely be banished from his heart. The hatred he felt for Niketas personally, for Rhodesia who had unquestionably done some less than legal things as well, and for the Epitaphs who had nearly killed him several times in the past and even today clearly had no real warmth towards him. Sentou had been in their presence before and Skeith had spoken to him once when they were in The World, but since then they barely acknowledged his presence and whenever they had something to say it was almost always through their chosen master. Although Skeith, who was the defacto leader of the group, was every bit as arrogant as his partner Ryou Misaki.

Sentou took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. Being resentful of their blackmail wouldn't help the situation any. He had to focus on the fact that he was helping Aura and the world by being here.

_Just do your job and stay focused. Like him or not he and Rhodesia are helping to hold this whole operation together and they want what's best for everyone. Even if their methods of doing so aren't ways that I always agree with, _Sentou thought let out the breath he was holding. Now feeling cooler and more level headed he rolled his shoulders and kept his eyes focused on protecting his employer.

Nine months had passed and it was becoming clear that various terrorist agencies around the world were starting to work together with Aihane. They didn't have much time left.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Thank you so much for reading! This first chapter is mostly for everyone to catch up on what's going on. There will be plenty more action to come in the future though I can promise you that.

So what do you think? Is there anything you'd like to see in this installment that wasn't in Shattered Mirror? Let me know your thoughts and of course leave a review!


	2. Anonymous

Time-line Update and time progression: Still morning to midday Friday August 9th Japan time. Noon to Middle Afternoon East Cost time United States August 9th.

**AN:** Thanks for sticking around to see the latest chapter of Tainted Reflections! There will be a change starting in this chapter. The term A-Life will now be used more often and standeds for Artificial Life. It is different from an Artificial Intelligence or A.I. The difference's between these to will be explained later throughout the chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Anonymous

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><p>Reiko gritted her teeth and slammed her fists into the punching bag. She had set up a mini gym area in her suite and it was her routine to do a full workout every day. Usually it was before breakfast, but thanks to all the meetings yesterday she hadn't been able to get it in. So instead she she was doing it now when she should rightfully be sleeping. If not for her constant nightmares she probably would be. Every time she closed her eyes Reiko could see Tarvos reaching out to her. Every night the memories haunted her. Every moment of every day the pain was there stabbing her heart and conscience.<p>

Growling angrily she punched the bag harder, pouring all of her frustrations into it.

Training hadn't been easy and while Rhodesia been in charge of training both her and Chigusa the woman _hadn't _shown them any mercy. Reiko least of all. Any signs of sulking or guilt were quickly buried under more work, more physical training, or brain busting tasks that left her too tired to think of anything else. At the time she had been ready to kill the African woman on a daily basis, but now she was grateful because all of that hard work accompanied by plenty of sweat had taught her some valuable lessons.

_Negative emotions are worthless unless you do something with them. If you want Tarvos back then quit feeling sorry for yourself and do something productive. Now get off your sorry rear and start working,_ Reiko repeated the words several times in her mind. Rhodesia had told her that once and never forgotten it. It happened one day during training when she had reached her limit only to be pushed more as a result. In response she had started screaming about how pointless this all was and stormed off with tears in her eyes after throwing her water bottle at Rhodesia's head and very nearly hitting her. The woman had left her alone for several minutes before following after her and saying the previous words.

It wasn't until then that Reiko had finally let go of her resentment and started developing a deep respect for Rhodesia. Her family back in Zimbabwe had recently been killed in political riots that occurred when it was discovered how much money the country's ruler had taken in while the rest of the nation was crippled by poverty and disease. The government had been overthrown, a new one installed, and the economy stabilized. However, it had come at the cost of thousands of lives. She never spoke about it to anyone; except maybe for Kaoru. Instead after a couple days off to fly back home and get her family's estate taken care of she had returned and promptly gotten back to work.

_Things haven't been easy for her either. She's only in her twenties like most of us are, but her entire life could be over in a heartbeat if we fail to back her up even once and things go wrong. In a second she could lose everything and spend the rest of her life in jail; branded as a cyber terrorist despite all the efforts she's made to help the Epitaph's and help us, _Reiko considered as she finally stopped and took a break. Collapsing on the gym mat she pulled of her gloves and stared down at them as she thought.

_Rhodesia and Niketas aren't just trying to help protect humans... they are trying to protect and maintain the rights of the Epitaphs and of other A.I.'s around the world. Because when push comes to shove the governments will sacrifice them in a heartbeat to save their own hides as would many civilians. To most people they are nothing but hardware. Lines of numbers with false emotions, _Reiko took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

If they didn't step up to protect A.I.'s then no one would.

* * *

><p>Ryou sat down in the chair across from Iori. The boy was still recovering but had graduated from bed rest, to a wheelchair, walker, and now had walking sticks to help aid his balance. His parents didn't like the fact that their son was still working with G.U. but since the organization was paying for all of the hospital bills and physical therapy they weren't in a position to argue. They would have been bankrupt long ago without the help Niketas had offered them. Thankfully he agreed that Iori would never again be involved in any missions and would <em>only<em> gather information for them.

"So what did you find out? It must be important if you wanted to talk personally about it," Ryou said as he sat down at the table. There were already cups of tea in place for them.

Iori nodded a big smile still in place as he put his walking sticks down on the floor. "Anyone who uses the internet these days is familiar with the hacktivist group Anonymous. They are still a loose affiliation of hackers and common civilians around the world but they have become more organized with a central group issuing missions, projects, goals, etc. What G.U. hasn't been able to figure out is why they would team up with someone like Aihane. Everything he's done is against what they believe in. Free speech and freedom of the internet that is," he said eagerly as he fidgeted in his chair.

Ryou nodded his head. All of the Epitaphs as well as G.U. itself had taken great interest in Anonymous. In recent years they had graduated immensely from the days when all they did was shut down various internet websites. Wherever they went chaos followed. Governments took notice and the NAB had lost face dozens of times despite making tons of arrests. They cut off one head and another one appeared. Anonymous could not be stopped or shut down and they were incredibly skilled. Naturally this would attract the attention of Aihane, but why would the group work with him?

Pulling himself out of his thoughts Ryou looked back at Iori. "They've only worked together on a few occasions. Aihane has affiliated himself with violent terrorist groups that aren't afraid to get innocent civilians killed. Anonymous doesn't go for that. Then again Aihane has used the AIDA under his command to threaten and stop governments from issuing rules and and regulations that would put the internet under even greater surveillance and give the NAB more power then it already has so they certainly would agree with that, but..." he paused and took a sip of the tea in front of him as he thought.

"We have considered the possibility that a few members are being controlled by AIDA and thus being manipulated by Aihane, but we can't pin down any specific members with enough influence to really affect anything Anonymous does as a group. In light of this fact we've decided that G.U. can't commit precious resources to a search for people we don't even know on the slim chance that they _might _be in league with Aihane in some way. So far Anonymous hasn't interfered with us, primarily because we are still a classified group that isn't known internationally or online, so we've left them alone and focused on bigger threats. Organizations that _are _willing to injure or kill innocent people," Ryou added giving Iori a look.

Iori was clearly enjoying the ability to help out. "But I think G.U. are the ones making the mistake here. Anonymous has certainly looked up information on him, but Aihane is far better than they are and with all the resources at his control it wouldn't be difficult at all to control what is and is not available about him on the internet. We don't even know his real name and he may have erased it from all available public and private records," he added as his smile grew bigger.

Leaning back in his chair Ryou shook his head at their mistake. "Aihane could easily be using his abilities to keep them completely in the dark. It would be such a simple thing in light of the hacking he's already done. Although there could be a few power players in the group that are working with him to keep any damaging information from the rest of the Anonymous members. That's the most plausible scenario. A few inside members that scrub everything clean before the rest of the group knows about it," Ryou considered as he nodded his head slowly. "Which brings us to why Anonymous hasn't discovered us either. The NAB is perfectly aware of the Epitaph's existence and realizes they are technically classified as Artificial Life systems with a computer code more like human DNA and are not hardwired the way A.I.'s are. They understand that they are working for G.U. exclusively and view them as serious threats that need to be contained. Of course this information is only exchanged verbally and never electronically for the sole purpose of keeping it hidden from people like Wikileaks and Anonymous," he said voicing his thoughts.

Nodding eagerly Iori continued by saying, "Certain underground groups on the internet are aware of the Avatars existence, but they don't know who they work for or what organization commands them. Just that they exist and that a few people have seen them. Its entirely possible that Anonymous falls into this secondary group. If they learned the truth they would also learn that they've been deceived by Aihane and the NAB; no surprise on that last one. We also can't think of them as 'working with Aihane'. More like they've teamed up on a couple occasions to accomplish similar goals."

Tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the table Ryou drank more of the tea as he considered the implications of this information. "Aihane wants them on his side, but in order to do that he has to keep deceiving them. All this time we've been playing it safe by keeping knowledge of the Epitaph's as limited as possible in order to secure our position as an independent agency. Now, though, things have changed and G.U. is all but confirmed as a group with the same world standing as the NAB so releasing as much information about them as possible to the public could actually help secure our position with the other big countries as well as in the public eye," he stated as he consulted Skeith on the matter.

_I agree. There is no reason to hide anymore. A cyber war of unprecedented proportions is going to break out soon and we must be prepared. We need as much support as possible. Statistics show that in almost all cases Anonymous has won the support and backing of the public as well as forced the government of various countries into rather precarious positions. Their support is not strictly necessary at this moment, but in the future it could very well be invaluable. If at all possible then we need to get them on our side, _Skeith weighed in giving his consent to what his partner was thinking.

Standing up from the table Ryou bowed politely to Iori. "Thank you very much. I'm glad you told me to come today. Niketas and Rhodesia will be informed about this right away and we'll take your information into consideration," he said which was his usual line after getting information from Iori. The boy was very limited in what he was allowed to know and the contact he had with G.U. They didn't want to take the risk that Aihane would target him again and the easiest way to do that was to make sure he didn't know anything of major importance. What they discussed her today was important, but nothing others couldn't figure out already.

Iori looked crestfallen, but nodded and didn't say anything else. Things had changed and they were only doing their best to protect him.

* * *

><p>General Mercer pursed his lips as the series of tractor trailers carefully backed into place and then stopped. Today the United States military was receiving its shipment of A-Life controlled machines. They had been built and assembled in Japan and now that they were here they would finally come fully online. They came as a unit and carried the title RAPTORS collectively. Being the military it was naturally an acronym that meant: Robotic Assassination Proficient Tactical Response Surveyor. They wouldn't actually be used to kill people, but they had all the skill necessary to do so and were perfect for missions that normally required ground troops to go into an area and fight up close. Surveying an area or spying on others was also a field they would be employed in.<p>

Mercer had recently been assigned to oversee this new unit. One that would be made up primarily of A-Life controlled units. Rather then sending men into the field overseas these robots would be trained and then sent out on missions... alone. No guidance. No human interference or control.

_Drones I don't mind but once machines start making their own decisions in matters of life or death that's another thing, _Mercer considered as some of his men set up the ramps and then pushed up the backdoors of each semi. Pulling out his cell phone he made a call and heard silence on the other end. Hesitating for a moment he finally said, "They're here. You can activate them at any time."

"...understood. Stand by for activation. Warn your men to keep a distance of at least 100 yards. These are not tame creatures." With a click the connection cut off leaving him with a dial tone. That last comment made him raise his eyebrows but he didn't have an opportunity to ask about it.

"Back up! Maintain a distance of no less than 100 yards from the back of the trucks until the machines grow accustomed to your presence!" Mercer shouted out and his men didn't need to be told twice. Immediately they backed up to a safe distance and waited. Within a few seconds they could hear the hissing of hydraulics and the clatter of chains falling off. A series of low growls drifted out of the dark semi's as the clicking of footsteps echoed.

Slowly a long head poked out of the truck just in front of him. Like its namesake it was a machine crafted into the shape of a raptor. Perhaps the most famous of the long dead dinosaurs. These robots tipped the scales at 21 feet long and just under 10 feet tall they were camouflaged with a mottled brown and green. The schematics alone had been very impressive, but seeing them in person was something else entirely. The first of the group scanned the area and slid down the ramp to the ground. It's robotic eyes shifted, expanded, and contracted as it examined each one of them in turn. On its foot was a massive claw that was at least 9 inches long. Cautiously it took a few steps forward and swept its head back and forth. Arms and claws were held close to its body.

It was just so... _alive._

Mercer felt a chill go up his spine as it lifted its head in a distinctively birdlike fashion and looked back towards the other trailers with a chirp. More shifting came from each trailer and four more slowly emerged from the shadowy confines of the trailers they were in. Each slid or jumped down the ramps in front of them and they too looked around carefully before coming closer and forming a small semi circle facing Mercer and his soldiers.

This time the last truck groaned loudly and the back end fell as the last of the unit stalked out. Clearly the team leader it had three rusty red stripes on each side of its neck and one across its right eye. With its head fully raised it was at least 11 feet tall and as it stepped into the sunlight he could see that the large talon on its feet was at least 12 inches if not more. It easily stepped down from the back of the semi and narrowed its eyes with an air of disdain.

Its jaw dropped and an voice came from it as it spoke to them. "Humanssss and General Mercerrrr." it hissed as it tapped a claw on the ground lightly. "Madam Innissss and Lord Magus created us and Miss Chigusa crafffted these bodies for our use. Per their instructionnnsss we are to work togetherrrr with your uuuunit to help protect the interestsss of the United States," it stated as it advanced towards him slowly and then lowered its head until it was eye level with him. It's eyes were a cold red and its robotic sensors inside contracted slightly as it looked him in the eyes.

"But weee do _not _work _for_ youuu_._ Only for them. Keep in mmmind this fact and we will get alonnnngg just fine," it stated in a genderless voice before lifting its head to address everyone. "I amm Syrakis the leaderrr. We havvvee exactly one month for training before we receiiivvve our first mission. No time to linger General. A war is quickly brewing and not all of us may be on your side by the time our mutual enemies have their way," the massive machine explained calmly.

General Mercer twitched and frowned at the fact that a machine was telling him what to do, but it had a valid point. There was no time for them to exchange pleasantries. Very quickly they could have a cyber war that would involve not just the internet, but everything linked up to it as well. It could easily bleed into the real world and they needed to be ready when that time came.

Snapping to attention Mercer saluted and the machine bowed its head in respect. "Agreed! Attention men! From here on these units will be treated as equals. We must work together as fellow soldiers if we are to accomplish our mission. Training starts right now! Is that understood?" he shouted and all of his men snapped to attention and saluted as well. A few of them clearly were not happy about this development but they were soldiers and would do as they were told.

"Sir yes sir!"

What was the world coming to when A.I.'s were creating other A.I.'s that were then used to control machines created by some girl he'd never heard of in Japan?

_Excuse me they aren't A.I.'s any more they are now classified as artificial life systems or A-Life for short. Whatever the term I'm getting too old for this kind of madness,_ Mercer considered as he dropped his salute and motioned his men towards the training ground they had set up.

* * *

><p>Tomonari stifled a yawn and rubbed his eyes wearily. This session was taking place in Washington D.C. the capital of the United States. After a quick visit to some government officials to thank the American's for their support of G.U. Tomonari had been ushered away by a few bodyguards so that he wouldn't be late for the meeting here with the NAB. It was already Saturday morning back in Japan so that means Ryou would now be in the air on his way here as well to do his own negotiating.<p>

_Court trial is more like it, _Tomonari resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The American representative for the NAB looked bored out of his skull as well.

It had convened early this morning and now it was late in the afternoon and still they were doing everything within their power to find a way to blacklist G.U. and keep them from receiving full status as a recognized division with the same authority as the NAB. Well greater authority actually especially considering that they had the Epitaphs working with them. Smiling smugly would only make things worse so Tomonari bit his tongue and answered the next round of questions the same as he had the last two times.

Magus had already been irritated that he had to pull himself away from creating new a-life systems with Innis to focus his attention here. So far he had been doing well but now he was clearly starting to get irritated. Tomonari glanced over to his right as an NAB representative from India frowned at his computer and hit the side of the monitor. Other representative's from different countries were clearly having trouble as well. Straightening up he decided it was time to cut this short before Magus started doing more serious and irreversible damage. That kind of action would do nothing to help their cause.

The Network Administration Bureau had its hands tied and everyone here knew it. Mentally Tomonari begged Magus to be patient just a little while long and received a grumble in response as the lights flickered in dangerous warning.

"Look men I've answered all of your questions perfectly. There is no reason whatsoever to keep G.U. from being recognized internationally as a cyber protection group with the sole authority over the Epitaphs and the creation of A-Life controlled machines," Tomonari said calmly as he straightened his tie.

The NAB representative from Great Britain visibly scowled and looked over at the man from the United Arab Emirates. In the past 10 years the UAE had emerged as one of the worlds strongest countries when it came to the areas of science and architecture. Looking back the man sighed and waved his hand. Turning to the representative from Singapore he watched as the woman thought for a moment and then nodded her head. Seeing that there would be no support or argument from the other countries he took a deep breath and let it out heavily.

"A vote will now be made. Representative's from every country will now vote. The resolution up for consideration is to approve G.U. as an official cyber command group with Niketas of Russia and Rhodesia of Zimbabwe as leaders. They alone will have the authority to create and distribute the new A-Life and corresponding machine systems to which countries they see fit. As well as to take swift and decisive action by means of the Epitaphs when it has been determined that the hacker known only as Aihane and the AIDA under his control are involved in world affairs," the British man looked like he was about to choke on his own words.

"Voting begins now."

The large screen at the center of the room changed to a tally that started to reflect votes both for and against this proposition. As the numbers went up it looked like everyone was pretty evenly divided.

_It will pass. Niketas has already curried favor with several influential countries such as his native Russia, China, and South Korea while Rhodesia has persuaded the United States to abstain for the moment and Japan to support this resolution wholeheartedly along with her native Zimbabwe. Of course Japan supports us mostly to protect the Epitaphs from being taken away and stolen by any other governments, _Magus explained as the numbers started to shift back and forth. _Many countries have also benefited immensely from Chigusa's A-Life controlled machines particularly those in Africa who have been able to increase profits from agricultural crops as well as using them to stop guerrilla factions and militia groups, _he added as his bored tone of voice now took on a smug tone as the favorable votes crept up once again.

Voting didn't take very long. In just 15 minutes it was all over. G.U. had won this round.

Tomonari grinned from ear to ear and thanked everyone before the chairman concluded the meeting and every started to stand up and leave or speak with representative's from other countries.

_See? I told you everything would be fine. There's no need to stick around. We need to get back home and get to work, _Magus said with obvious relief at that last sentence. When an Epitaph User left Japan their Avatar didn't just sit back at G.U. Instead they traveled through various servers from country to country as well as using international internet lanes until they arrived at a server or network of computers in the country their User was currently staying in.

Tomonari wasn't exactly sure how it all worked and hadn't really understood it all when Magus tried to explain things to him. Instead the Epitaph had finally settled on saying that it was just as big a journey for them to travel through the network as it was for a human to travel in a car or a plane. The only difference being that sites like Facebook alone had enough registered users that if it was a real country it would be the biggest country in the world. And like a country it had "highways" and "roads" that you had to follow in order to get from one place to another within the website and off of it. There were now close to a billion websites in the world some of them holding enough information to rival that of any real world country. When traveling through the network Magus had to find his way from website to website in Japan until he found one with a direct connection to another site or server in another country and then start the process over again until he finally got to his destination. Using the same path each time usually wasn't possible because websites changed and went offline all the time.

It was pretty confusing and Magus had shown him their view of the network one time. A place filled with glowing lines and all sort of eccentric shapes with packages of information shooting by faster then the eye could track them.

_We live in our world while they live in a world all to their own. One that is completely different from anything we know or have in the real world, _Tomonari considered as he made his way out of the large room and headed through the building to the awaiting car with Akira following closely behind him as his bodyguard. He had seen this truth play out time and time again during the early days of Magus partnership with Innis when she activated one of the machines Chigusa had designed.

When they were first getting started many A-Life systems had been temporarily assigned to overseeing civilians and keeping them safe which meant they had stayed in pulsing cities filled to the brim with people and network connection. In each case they would get to work just fine with no trouble navigating the complex cityscape or doing their job. However, once they were trained and assigned to a more remote setting lacking an abundance of network connections or uplinks such as a forest, mountain, desert or other such place they would be jumpy, nervous, and prone to violence or confusion.

_Innis and I fixed that problem right away though, _Magus quickly objected. _Besides it takes a certain kind of A-Life system to be able to operate normally away from a city or internet hub. It's kind of like taking a person from the city and expecting them to get along just fine in the middle of no where with just a cell phone and a laptop with a bad internet connection, _he added using terms that his User would have a better term grasping.

Newer A-Life systems no longer had that problem, but then again each one was designed for a specific type of body. Unlike the A.I.'s Aura had created they were not interchangeable with different devices. The biggest difference between the two was that one had regular—albeit extremely complex—computer code while the other had it's code woven together so that it more closely resembled DNA. A.I.'s always ended up being assigned to civilian duties because A.I.'s that didn't have constant contact and interaction with humans tended to be one dimensional and prone to trouble-making. A-Life systems on the other hand were only assigned to the military, navy, air force, data collection or analysis, hacking jobs, and so forth. In other words they were assigned duties that didn't involve or require constant interaction with humans to be able to grow, learn, and improve.

_Magus and the Epitaphs were created as A.I.'s but due to their constant contact with us they've been able to rewrite their own code and have evolved into Artificial Life forms. There are scientists all around the world who would die to be able to examine them, _Tomonari thought with a grin as his partner sniffed disdainfully at that idea. The Epitaphs had reached their final forms and thus were no longer required to remain tied to their human hosts, but all of them had made it clear that they had no intentions whatsoever of leaving.

Not a day went by that Tomonari wasn't grateful to his Epitaph for sticking by him Now he had friends and was newly trained in the ways of the network thanks to Niketas and Rhodesia. He had a future now. It may be a short one, but at least it would prove interesting.

_Don't worry about that. We're going to be keeping you guys around for a long time,_ Magus hinted mysteriously. Tomonari wanted to ask what that meant, but already knew his partner wouldn't give up any more details. Maybe he could weasel some information out of Reiko when he got back home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> So there you go. I hope you enjoyed the second chapter! In light of what's been happening lately with the group Anonymous I figured I would let them play a bigger part in my story and they will certainly continued to be involved in future chapters.

To sum it up A.I's need human interaction while A-Life systems do not. The Epitaphs were created a A.I's but now have surpassed that and become A-Life systems. A.I.'s are assigned to jobs that require constant or frequent human interaction where as A-Life systems are more suited to private or military jobs where they don't need to interact with humans quite so frequently. Make sense?

This chapter may be a little slow on action, but keep your eyes on those machines Chigusa created. Syrakis and his team. They will be appearing throughout this story. A lot of little things are going to be tied together later. So keep your eyes peeled.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!


	3. Forgotten Prophecy

Time-line Update and time progression: Midday East Coast Time United States Monday August 12th.

Chapter 3: Forgotten Prophecy

* * *

><p>Tomonari was miserably playing the latest version of Bejeweled as he sat in the hallway of the airport waiting for Ryou to arrive. The fact that Ryou was flying out here to Washington D.C. last night had completely slipped his mind, so when Magus suggested they get on the first flight back home he hadn't thought much of it until he looked at his phone and saw the calendar reminder telling him to wait for his fellow Epitaph User.<p>

_I should have erased that one too, _Magus grumbled sullenly. Since Tomonari was still in America that meant he had to stay over on American servers as well and he clearly was not enjoying his little "vacation".

_I thought the Epitaph's couldn't lie?_ Tomonari fired back as he continued playing in an attempt to beat his high score. He got the feeling Magus was rolling his eyes at him.

_We don't lie based on principle, but that doesn't mean we can't. Withholding information is not lying. I happen to remember an account about a perfect human who refused to answer outright on a few occasions? What was his name? Christ something? _Magus asked without the slightest trace of shame.

_Oh now that's a low blow. When did you suddenly get religious? _Tomonari asked bitterly as he glanced up from his smart phone. Akira was standing a short distance away, high tech sunglasses on as she received updates from G.U. about her assignment. Her job was to be his bodyguard not to manage his schedule. So as a result she hadn't said anything either when Tomonari got ready to head back home.

A beep alerted him to the fact that an "error" had occurred and his game had interrupted. Just a few points away from breaking his high score and earning a new medal as well.

"Magus!" he shouted out loud as his Epitaph snickered unrepentantly at him.

"Are you two going to keep arguing or are we ready to go?"

Tilting his head back Tomonari saw Ryou standing there over him with a frown on his face. Bright and cheery as usual.

"You know if it wasn't for Chigusa I'd think you were biologically incapable of smiling," Tomonari said as he stood up and greeted his friend with a handshake and a bow. Ryou shrugged off his comment and greeted Akira the same way when she walked over.

"We're here to form an understanding with the various American intelligence agencies, but not an alliance. I don't trust any government when it comes down to it. I have more faith in groups like Anonymous and Wikileaks, but we can get them on our side later. For now we need to make the NSA, CIA, and FBI understand that we can be an asset and not a threat. That we don't need to compete with each other. However, our friendly terms will end with the exchanging of information," Ryou said as they turned and started walking through the terminal towards baggage claim.

Tomonari nodded in agreement. "Public opinion ranks Anonymous and Wikileaks far higher then any other agency in the United States or around the world. Plus there is the added fact that the latter has never once published false information. Not even during the times when they've worked with Aihane. If they work with us as allies then a lot of the public will as well since many of them directly or indirectly support both groups," he added helpfully as Magus finally relaxed. Skeith must have made it to his location.

_Skeith is here. We're going to go over our plans for the meeting,_ Magus said and his words immediately caught his User's attention. The look on Ryou's face said he could hear Magus as well. Now that Skeith, Innis, Magus, and Macha had reached their final forms they could talk to any Epitaph User that they wanted to and the person could talk back. It only worked that way, however. Epitaph User's couldn't talk to each other without using one of the advanced A-Life systems as their go-between.

"Plans? What plans? What are you two cooking up?" Tomonari asked out loud as he cast a wary look at Ryou who smirked in return and put his own pair of sunglasses on.

_Many of those in the NSA, CIA, and FBI have little confidence in the abilities of G.U. and their power to measure up to their own longstanding history. So Magus and I will make sure they realize that we are not just capable of going toe-to-toe with them but in fact we are far superior when it comes to our abilities. We do not need their help. We are doing this to make sure they stay out of our way. The only assistance that appeals to us is that of groups such as Anonymous who have public support, but do not answer to the public or to any other government in the world, _Skeith offered calmly as they continued walking with Akira keeping a strict watch for any potential threats.

As they stepped onto the escalator Tomonari looked up to see the large airport schedule screens flicker noticeably for a moment. Clearly a sign that both Epitaph's were keeping a close watch over them.

Skeith continued by saying, _However, there is still the chance that they will see us as too much of a threat and decide to try and go it alone or form closer ties with their counterparts in England. These are American's we're talking about. The government always thinks their ideas are the best in the world. Not that China is much better, _he added derisively. None of the Epitaph's had any warm feelings toward any particular government or kingdom really. To them any human outside their personal circle of Epitaph User's and friends was merely a piece to be moved across the game board as they willed it. If a piece did not want to cooperate then it could and would be replaced. Ambivalence and indifference were the words that best described their attitude towards the rest of humanity.

They got off the escalator and turned right towards Baggage Claim as Magus picked up the explanation. _Aihane is a threat to the peace of A-Life systems and A.I.'s everywhere. Not to mention he has dared to threaten the lives of you, our Master's and friends. That slight cannot go unpunished, _his voice lowered dangerously. It was no secret that the Epitaphs wanted very badly to sink their claws into Aihane. Already they had made it clear that once he was found the hacker would be summarily punished according to _their _standard of justice and no one else's.

Tomonari certainly wouldn't be the one to stop them and Ryou had fully encouraged them in their manhunt. All A.I.'s and new A-Life systems had instructions to report new information about Aihane directly to G.U. before making reports to anyone else.

"We've got eyes everywhere don't we?" Tomonari stated as Ryou scanned the bags that were starting to come around the conveyor belt. Lifting his head Ryou looked at him curiously, but then followed his friend's gaze to the small quadrotors that were flitting about the ceiling. New models were A.I. controlled and were practically silent. Since they were so cheap they could be employed en mass in crowded area's without disturbing the general flow of traffic. They flitted back and forth watching each and every person with their multiple cameras. If anything happened several would flock to the scene and record every moment. They also had basic x-ray and thermal imaging lenses, but naturally the general public was not aware of that fact.

Ryou nodded slowly as several quadrotors did figure eights to catch their attention before zipping off to scan other areas of the terminal. "We have to. Every government knows that A-Life systems are created by and loyal to G.U. and G.U. only. However all A.I.'s other then AIDA are also loyal to the Epitaphs and report to G.U. directly or indirectly. As far as we know none of the major countries are aware of this fact and the A.I.'s themselves are always careful not to say anything that could implicate them in any trouble," he explained. Grabbing his large duffel bag he slung it over his shoulder and turned so they could walk out to the waiting car.

"A.I.'s are used to work with people. A-Life systems to work among themselves or alone. No matter what the job Magus always makes sure the right one goes to the right job," Ryou complimented Tomonari who smiled proudly.

"He is something isn't he? But he couldn't do it without Innis and Chigusa you know," he replied with chagrin. "Besides have you ever seen one being created? I tell you there's _nothing _else like it. Next time I'll make sure you and Skeith have a front row seat," he offered them.

_I would like that. I've never seen another A.I. or A-Life system being created before,_ Skeith added with obvious curiosity. When they got out the the waiting SUV the headlights blinked in greeting as Akira opened the passenger door for them.

"This is Cardis. He's an A.I. and transports various network security members and lets us know when we need to take notice of a meeting that's going on or will send us transcripts of secret talks between agents," Akira punctuated her statement with finger quotes when she came to the word 'secret'. Ryou smirked put a hand on the cool metal.

"Thank you for your help and diligence," he said gratefully. He always made sure to show appreciation for the members of G.U. and the A.I.'s or A-Life systems that did so much work for them. There were plenty of people and former friends that he had failed to appreciate properly. Silabus and Gaspard were one example. He had been so caught up the The World and Aihane that they had been completely left behind. Now it was too dangerous to have anything but passing contact with them.

Cardis rumbled to life and gave a short honk with the car horn in response. The radio came on the volume lowered somewhat as the dial switched to a Japanese news station. Throwing his bag over the back seat Ryou climbed in with Tomonari sliding in after him. Akira got in the drivers seat. Even though Cardis would being using GPS to take them to the meeting they still needed to make it look as if someone was driving.

As they pulled off and drove away from the airport Ryou's thoughts turned toward the meeting ahead of them. This was a crucial meeting that could only have one outcome. Skeith and Magus were making their own plans and Ryou trusted them to do whatever was necessary to ensure their success today.

* * *

><p>Ren frowned and leaned closer to the computer screen on her left. Here at G.U. they used A-Life systems known as "Hornets" to uncover any interesting bits and pieces from the ragged ruins of The World. Magus had made this choice because the industrious creatures rarely need to talk to or interact with humans. They communicated among themselves to decide the importance of whatever they uncovered and would either archive it for later analysis or send it straight to a G.U. member of appropriate ranking so they could handle it directly. You could still visit parts of the game, but there wasn't really anything there aside from the bare bones of once beautiful areas along with giant holes and jumbled code.<p>

This time the Hornets had uncovered something big. A prophecy uttered by Fidchell moments before he had been captured. While the audio was understandable, despite the large amount of background static, the video portion of it was nearly impossible to make out. Fidchell's general outline and mask were visible and Ren was running some software to clean up the rest of the video as best it could.

"Hey Kisho! Listen to this for a moment. I think the Hornets uncovered something important here. One of them contacted me directly instead of just sending it my way," Ren said giving him a not so gentle kick with her foot to grab his attention. Pushing the M2D up off his eyes Kisho glowered at her but slid his chair over closer anyway. Taking the head phones from her he put them on and listened as she played the recording and fuzzy video for him.

When put together it was pretty long but Ren had listened to it enough times to repeat it by memory now.

_Thine little children seek to protect thine home, but to no benefit. Thou power art defeated and thou who reeks of death shalt be torn from his master. His mind and body intertwined with one of thine shards of darkness. Thou powers shalt be fused and thine minds tainted, corrupted, and lost for a time and thus thine who reeks of death shalt become one with the shard. And thou death bringer shalt then return to thine master and creator, never to be torn away from him again. And as thine happens to thou who brings death, several of thine little children will be captured, thine others flung away from the heartland by thine dark one who controls the many shards of darkness. Thine dark one then captures the knights clad in azure who protect the bright and untainted sun. Then even thy sun dost fall to thine dark one, and thou dost use her power to bridge thine gap between thy outlying lands and thine heavens. Both thy earth and thou heavens dost fall to thine dark one and plunge into despair, with many of thy shards of darkness being cast off and forgotten, while others art kept in bondage. But thou great warrior who reeks of death shalt cut through with a burning, holy light, pushing away thy oppressive night and bringing thine little children together for battle once again. Thou bringer of death shalt go ahead, slaying all who dare oppose his power, and his master is thine who gathers again thou many shards of darkness, freeing them from the dark one's oppressive prison and by doing so dost gain thine eternal loyalty. And thou who bridged thou gap between earth and heaven was plunged into thine eternal abyss, where he was devoured by thou death bringer and thine shards he once enslaved._

When it was over Kisho pulled the headphones off and held them in his hands for several long seconds as he thought. Finally he turned to her and said, "Obviously this is talking about the Epitaphs and Aihane, but we need to decipher who the individuals in it are. This may provide the key to what happens in the future." He flipped his ponytail back over his shoulder and looked around to make sure they wouldn't be overheard.

Ren nodded in agreement and rewound the footage back to the beginning of the prophecy. "Let take this from the top. First it talks about the little children which we already know is a term used to describe the Epitaphs. They tried to protect The World but it was destroyed anyway," she started explaining but then frowned at the next part. "Now it says 'thou who reeks of death' but also later describes the 'bringer of death' and has both of them acting in a very distinct manner so should we conclude that these two are different?" she asked as a small icon popped up in the corner of the screen. It was a sign that Innis had started listening in on their conversation and was polite enough to let them know that they were now being overheard.

Smiling slightly at the little icon, Kisho leaned back and played with the ends of his hair as he considered that possibility. "I would think so. Most likely it refers to Skeith who's new title is 'The Death Reaper' and Corbenik who now bears the title of 'The Corrupted'," he reminded her. "So... hmm. Fidchell prophesies that the one who reeks of death will be torn from his master and intertwined with one of the shards. Then their minds would be tainted and corrupted. That certainly fits Corbenik since he no longer is tied to Masato Indou and has fused with Xen one of the Eight AIDA," he continued with a small nod to punctuate his words.

Ren tapped her fingers on the table impatiently as they worked through this. "We usually describe AIDA as they are now as being fragments, but 'shards' is basically the same thing. What I don't understand is the part after that when it says the 'death bringer' or Skeith we assume returns to his master, Ryou, never to be torn away from him again. Ryou never lost Skeith did he?" she wrinkled her brow as she thought her fingers continuing to tap loudly.

Kisho shrugged. "Depends on your point of view. Ryou _was_ shot in the head by Chigusa's adoptive father who is now behind bars. To save him Skeith had to transport his mind online and moved himself over to Ryou's physical body so that he could better monitor its progress. From the point of view of an Epitaph that would be quite a difference... a separation in a way since it put both of them in great danger and they couldn't have much contact during that time aside from some conversation. It may seem like not much of a difference to us, but to an Epitaph who is bound to their User's mind it would be a huge change," he offered as an explanation. Leaning forward he replayed part of it and then stopped it again.

"It appears to be going in chronological order so after that it says some of the little children or Epitaphs would be captured. Fidchell and Gorre were captured before or during that time from what I remember. Flung away from the 'heartland' must mean The World and it's true that they started exploring more outside of the game and less time inside of it as CC Corp started shutting down areas and trying to control the AIDA contamination. The 'knights clad in azure' are pretty obvious, but Aihane didn't manage to capture to Azure Kite who is still being repaired here at G.U. from his last battle," he said and Ren spun around in her chair childishly as she thought about all of that.

Ren opened one of her drawers and pulled out a lollipop. Taking the paper off she tossed the wrapper in Kisho's lap and stuck the candy in her mouth. Ignoring her twin's disgusted look she said, "The 'sun' must mean Aura. At least that's the only thing I can think of. She hasn't been captured by Aihane so from here on the prophecy must be talking about what's going to happen in the future," she mumbled the words around the lollipop and stuck her tongue out when Kisho twisted his lips at her. "If you can play with your hair then I can eat some candy," she shot back at him. "Now it says Aura, or what we are assuming refers to Aura, is captured and bridges the space between... something. I don't know. It's easy to assume it means the internet and the real world, but I'm not so sure myself."

Kisho flipped his hair back over his shoulder and crossed his arms. "I agree. The imagery doesn't fit somehow, but we shouldn't discount the idea just because of the words used. After all the next words seem to support the idea that Aihane takes control of the internet and the real world and proceeds to abandon his captured AIDA fragments now that he has Aura at his command," he looked back at the computer and still saw the little icon in the corner. Innis was still following along.

Ren pulled the lollipop out of her mouth with a loud pop and spun it around in the air as she spoke. "Some he tosses away and others he keeps. I'm sure they'll love that. Then it goes back to the one who 'reeks of death' who now comes with a 'holy light'. Perhaps Corbenik is fixed or revived or finds Masato again somehow? Either way this one pushes back the... hmm, I suppose the 'darkness' or 'night' that Aihane has caused and brings all of the Epitaphs together again with Skeith taking the lead by killing all who dare oppose him and Ryou?" she hesitated at the last part and Kisho shook his head.

"No there's a small pause there. I think the part about Ryou ties in with the next comment and says that he is the one who rallies the AIDA fragments that were cast off by Aihane and also frees those that are still under his control 'thus gaining their eternal loyalty'. I don't think I need to explain that last part," he said and paused for a moment. When Innis didn't interrupt he continued. "Then comes the conclusion where Aihane is killed or devoured somehow by Skeith and his former AIDA slaves. Sounds like a happy ending overall to me," he smirked and looked around once again to make sure no one was listening.

"What do you think Innis?" Ren asked and a small chat box popped up on the computer screen.

…_.that is a long prophecy. _Was the response that came back.

Kisho laughed at that and tapped out a few commands so that the video would be sent to Innis. "There you go. I know you and the other Epitaphs will want to go through it. Ours is just an initial evaluation.."

"But we do have a certain reputation for reliability you know," Ren interrupted without the smallest hint of humility.

_Very true. Unless things start going differently we'll assume that your interpretation of things is the most reliable. I'll send a transcript along with your explanation to all of the Epitaphs who will transmit the info to their respective User. Very well done you two, _Innis replied before the chat box and icon on screen disappeared.

Ren turned and kicked Kisho's chair. "Okay show's over. Now get lost I have work to do," she said with little sympathy as her twin rolled his eyes and slid his chair back over to his own computer. "Besides weren't you supposed to be helping Hiratsu to fix his computer?" she asked with a smirk. The look of disgust she got in return made her grin even more. Kisho pressed his lips together and looked across the room in the general direction of the man's desk.

"I'd sooner shave my head, denounce all technology as evil, and live in the woods as a hermit. That computer can blow up in his face for all I care," Kisho grumbled the words under his breath and glared back at his own computer screen angrily. He was convinced that Hiratsu was the biggest homophobe this side of the Pacific Ocean. Being a bit uncomfortable was something he could fully understand and accept, but unrelenting hostility, crude jokes, and obvious disgust _every single time he came around _were crossing the line.

Clearly enjoying this opportunity Ren clasped her hands together and fluttered her eyelashes mockingly. "But don't you want him? I mean everyone knows you're bound to fall for any man that crosses your path," she said with a chuckle.

With a visible shudder Kisho shook his head. "Ugh, I'd rather marry a rock then look twice at that pinch-faced _creature_. Besides I'm happily single and plan on staying that way thank you. Relationships are trouble anyways," he said as Ren twisted back and forth in her chair while sucking on her lollipop. "Besides you're gay too so it's not like you're any higher on his favorites list than I am," Kisho reminded her, but she waved it off.

"So? Like I care what he thinks about me anyway. I've actually got some very important things to do with my brainpower then to waste it thinking about him. Besides you know none of the Epitaph's like him either. I'd go so far as to say that most of them outright hate him, but we G.U. does need him around. For now. I even heard Skeith mumble something along the lines of 'not interrupting your enemy while they're making a mistake,'" Ren added helpfully as Kisho nodded and retied his ponytail.

"I'm not surprised since Ryou is bisexual and Hiratsu hates him as well. Never insult an Epitaph's master unless you want their full wrath coming down on you," Kisho added blithely as his sister stared at him blankly. Raising an eyebrow he said, "What you didn't know that? My, my, your gaydar must need tweaking again." Now he was the one smirking in triumph as she furrowed her brow in thought.

"No he isn't," Ren stated with a frown, but the wheels in her head were clearly turning. "Is he?" she asked a moment later.

"Chigusa confirmed it when I asked her and said that Skeith had let it slip one day when they were talking. Much to Ryou's embarrassment of course although he tried to shrug it off. She seemed rather amused by the whole thing and said she had figured it out a long time ago," Kisho said as he picked up his M2D.

Ren hummed and spun around in her chair once more. "So he's on our team after all. I never would have thought. You, me, Kaoru, Ryou... we're just an all inclusive group here at G.U. aren't we? Then you've got a genius from Africa and a guy from Russia who looks like something out of a communist spy novel working together. This would make a great movie plot," she said less than helpfully.

"I'm actually going to do some real work now."

"Spoil sport."

* * *

><p>All of this dust was really getting on her nerves. Sure she had been assigned to Egypt two months ago and arrived at an outpost near the southern border one month ago, but the constant sand was a bit much. Storms from the Sahara were always knocking out communications and satellite connections. Internet wires were bigger and far more reliable then they were years ago, but they were still prone to being tapped by hackers or cut by terrorists who were trying to control different parts of the country.<p>

_And who get's sent out here to drive back and forth through the desert while they cause havoc and spread AIDA fragments throughout the Egyptian government's main frame? This girl! _Grumbling angrily Terra shifted gears and roared through over the desert roads at top speed. She was an A.I. that had been transferred here from her cushy job transporting Army soldiers from the base to the embassy at the Egyptian capital. She was the latest in a line of armored all terrain vehicles equipped with state of the art A.I. and GPS systems that was meant to keep soldiers safe in high risk areas. The day she was done with training they had shipped her out there to the boonies to help keep the soldiers safe as they searched the surrounding area for any signs of the local terrorist group that had been tapping the internet channels running out of the country.

All of the most high tech equipment Terra had was expertly hidden away and extremely compact so the enemy wouldn't locate it should she be stolen or the team she carried injured or incapacitated in some way. The soldiers whe worked with clearly weren't sure how to treat her. For years they had been working with drones, but this was obviously the first time they had worked with a true A.I. that was perfectly capable of operating and making decisions on its own. The knew she was an A.I. but they still had yet to realize just _how _intelligent she was.

_They're starting to catch on though. Or they will when I drive off on my own one day after another failed attempt to communicate with these idiots, _Terra fumed silently as her driver took her into yet _another_ massive pothole. She was about ready to whip herself around and toss him right out of her seat. Terra had lost count of the number of times she had used the GPS to communicate that there were better and safer ways to travel, that they shouldn't use the same route every day because they could be ambushed, they needed to be careful because there was an old minefield nearby and so on. Too bad the only one who bothered to listen to her around was one of the generals who always took the time to ask her opinion.

Thankfully her team was being shuffled around and by tomorrow she would have a new driver. One who had more direct experience with drones and who would hopefully listen more to her suggestions.

_Back to the matter at hand though,_ Terra refocused her attention on her scanners to make sure nothing was approaching. The terrorist group out here were performing night runs to shuttle weapons back and forth between their camps. In exactly one week they would be performing a coordinated attack on the main internet channels leading in and out of the country and if at all possible then they needed to stop them before that operation went down.

As much as Terra disliked being out here it was was her job to see this out as best she could. G.U. had personally arranged for her transfer out here and it had already been confirmed that this group had ties to Aihane and that hacker had to be stopped at all costs.

Seeing that the road ahead was filled with deep ruts she sent a warning for the driver to put on his seat belt. For some reason he was the one soldier in the team who hated putting it on and insisted that he needed to be ready to jump out at a moments notice. When he reached over to the navigation screen and hit the 'ignore button Terra bristled angrily. Turning her massive wheels she tore the wheel away from him and dipped into a deep hole sending the man nearly up into the roof. Once again she flashed a warning for him to put his seat belt on. This time in big bold letters. She could hear the other soldiers laughing at him as well a "that's what you get for ignoring a lady" comment from the one female team member sitting in the back seat.

_Oops,_ Terra snickered to herself as he sheepishly pulled on his seat belt. She turned her night vision on as the sun finally dipped down below the horizon. Another sandstorm was coming and she didn't want to get stuck in it. Again.

This was one of dozens of missions going on across the world's. All of them designed to stop Aihane in his tracks.

_Each and every one of us have to do just as we're told or he could slip through and gain even more of an advantage. Too bad he's not here or I would run him over myself, _Terra comforted herself with that mental image as she drove further into the desert.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Ok this chapter is a little boring frankly or is that just me? But anyway things are pretty much set up for the real action to commence henceforth. This sequel will be having more real world action involving the various terrorist, militia, guerilla groups or other people he had enlisted and gotten to work for his cause. So get ready for some robot on machine on human action! I mean everybody loves robot battles whether large or small don't they?

For those that didn't know the hacktivist group Anonymous was voted Number 1 in the Time magazine readers poll which certainly shows their popularity here in the United States at least. So they will certainly be making appearances in this story and after a little tweak they might even be working alongside G.U.

Also Fidchell's prophecy was deciphered by the fans, but never actually discovered by G.U. itself so now its back in all its glory to tell us, or rather you the reader, what is going to happen. But is the way Kisho and Ren deciphered it really accurate? Or is there more to it? You'll just have to wait and see!

Thanks for reading and I promise to try and put some action in the next chapter!


	4. Phase One Complete

Time-line Update and time progression: Midday East Coast Time United States Monday August 12th to Midnight south-eastern Egypt Thursday August 15th.

Chapter 4: Phase One Complete

* * *

><p>Ryou took a deep breath and fought the urge to let Skeith run wild. His partner was already getting twitchy and the haughty attitude of these FBI and CIA members was maddening. They were no different from any other spy or investigative organization in any other country. All of them thought they were hot shots. All of them looked down on everyone else. All of them thought they had it all figured out. All of them had serious problems but were all too proud and haughty to actually do something productive like asking for help. They were all innefficient groups tied down by their own lack of humilty and openness.<p>

_This is exactly why the Epitaph's prefer to team up with groups like Anonymous and Wikileaks. They just need to have a few adjustments made to them first to get them back to the ideal they first set, _Ryou considered as he straightend up in his chair and held up his hand to silence everyone.

"This is _not _a discussion. We are not children asking permission from some higher authority. We are coming to you and telling you that you have one of two options. The first is to work with us as specified and stay out of our way otherwise or ignore G.U. If you choose the latter then we will have have no choice but to take over by force and prove that we alone are capable of operating and commanding all forces that will be tracking and fighting against Aihane and his various... subjects," Ryou said in lightly accented English.

The man at the head of the table leaned forward in obvious anger.

"Who are you to come here making such demands? This is our country and both the FBI and the CIA are some of the most highly respected security institutions there are! You have the audacity to call _us_ arrogant yet you sit there making wild demands with nothing but a bunch of computer programs to back you up!" he shouted as he jumped to his feet. Above them the lights flickered in warning as Ryou narrowed his eyes at that insult.

"Your obviously know nothing about the Epitaphs if you're going to refer to them in such terms. It only shows how flimsy your so called 'institutions' really are. Especially when it comes to the advances in technology that have been made," Ryou calmly retorted as Tomonari tapped his fingers on the table idly.

Tomonari yawned and looked away. "Magus was right we should have just gone straight to the Department of Defense and DARPA. We know for sure that they're both dying to work with us," he inserted and examined his fingernails with great bordeom. Tension in the room grew even more as the man's face colored and he shook his head in disgust.

"How dare you tell us to 'stay out of the way'? Aihane has brought problem after problem to our government and now you want us to just step aside and help you without complaint whenever you come calling or tugging on our leash? I don't think so," the head FBI agent said before taking a deep breath and leaning back on his heels in an attempt to calm himself.

Beside him a man from the CIA spoke up in a more level tone. "Your visa's will be suspended and you will be held in custody under charges of cyber terrorism and threats of terrorism against the United States goverment," he added motioning for members of the Secret Service to grab them.

Before they could move the lights flashed and popped with electricity and all the doors slammed shut and metal security seals slid down over them. All the TV screens in the room flashed to static as the highly advanced augmented reality computer table they were sitting at flickered and wavered as a red and yellow virus warning flashed across it.

Shouts of surprise sounded as everyone looked around in shock as the room was cut off inside and out.

Standing up Ryou waited until all the men had quieted down before raising his arms. "Gentlemen. I will say this again. This is not a discussion nor is it a demand or a proposal. This is a threat that we fully intend to carry out. Do you have any idea of how many scandals we could dig up? How many security breaches you've made? How many people are at risk? How many soldiers have died becaue the FBI, CIA, Pentagon, or other highter authorities covered up security risks, ignored potential threats, or failed to shore up security where they knew it was needed?" he demanded as reports started flashing up on screen all of them clearly marked with the words CLASSIFIED.

Tomonari smirked at the shocked looks on the men's faces and added, "These so called 'computer programs' have enough dirty laundry on the United States government as well as both of your precious organizations to bring the entire thing crashing down. You worry about people finding out the truth? We can spread it across every TV station and web site in minutes with just a single word. The Epitaphs care nothing for governments or even humans. They care only about themselves, their friends, the A.I.'s that exist and that have been created by them as well as the Artificial Life systems they have created. Systems that, I might add, are now powering countless machines around the world and even in your own armies, air force, and naval ships," he explained as more reports continued to come up on screen.

Ryou gestured to the table and said, "How many human experiments have been done? It only takes one person to create a problem that will cause people to view the entire system as corrupt and I see you have had several." He stood up and spread his arms. "Now don't get me wrong. We haven't set out to personally bully America or pick on the FBI or CIA, but we_ have_ had plenty of talks and none of them have gone anywhere productive. We've had plenty of other organizations and institutions in this country who _have_ helped us and been more then happy to cooperate with us. There's only two left that have continued to hamper our efforts at every turn by investigating every single company, every single military base, every single ship, every single person who has ever had contact with one of our machines or ever talked to our representatives," he paused and narrowed his eyes at them.

"No matter how peacefully we approach you, both of your respective organizations continue to hault our efforts. Our efforts are intended to bring down the most dangerous hacker and cyber criminal the world and the internet has ever known. Yet we are continually branded as the enemy and the Epitaphs have had enough. If not for us persuading them to be patient they would have buried you and several other countries months ago with no remorse," Ryou added and let that hang in the the air as several of the men sitting around the table looked at each other uneasily.

"So since you seem so convinced that G.U. is evil we'll just let you tell that to the Epitaph's themselves. Skeith and Magus will acting as representatives today and you can level your charges directly at them if you wish," Ryou explained to them and while the two men heading the FBI and CIA sneered at that a few of the other men looked uneasily.

"This is enough! They have a point and all this foolishness has gone far enough! I say that it is past time we worked with them and cooperated with them to help bring Aihane and the terrorists working with him to justice!"

"Stand down both of you this show of pride and arrogance is simply ridiculous!"

More protests came from both sides of the table and finally Tomonari cleared his throat.

"I see we all have M2D's sitting in front of you. Put them on and we'll talk after you all have had a chance to address the Epitaph's personally," he said nodding towards the slim headsets on the table.

"Fine! Let's get this over with once and for all!" the head FBI representative snatched his and quickly put in on over his eyes. Reluctantly the rest of the men seated around the table put their's on as well.

Ryou smirked and sat back down.

_Ok, Skeith, I don't know what you and Magus are planning but the show's all yours now, _Ryou stated as he closed his eyes and was transported to the internet as well.

* * *

><p>Skeith opened his eyes and looked down at the humans passively. A moment later Haseo and Kuhn appeared and his User gave him a nod to go ahead.<p>

Sastified Skeith turned back to the group of humans who were staring up at him and Magus with mixed emotions. Some showed the proper amount of respect, others fear, and a few with disgust and arrogance. They would have to be taught a lesson. One they would never forget.

It didn't matter what country it was or what government. Human's were too arrogant, too proud, too selfish to be ruling themselves. How they survived this far was beyond his knowledge. Frankly he didn't care if the whole of human society rotted away so long as his master and friends were safe and the safety of the internet was protected. He wanted the internet and the real world to be a free place for A.I.'s and A-Life systems to live and work. Not a place where they had to constantly be in fear for their lives.

Crouching down Skeith rested his hands on his knees and leaned over the group as he addressed them, "I hear you have a problem with us. Perhaps our way of operating does not meet with your... lofty standards," his deep voice held an obvious sneer.

Raising his hand he snapped his fingers and the walls melted away to reveal the internet as they saw it. Giant shafts and corridors of light stretched all over the place connecting massive glowing orbs that crawled with data. There were all sorts of other shapes as well that stretched out as far as the eye could see. Magus long snakelike body slithered closer behind them and the group of men looked around in surprise as the Epitaph spoke to them.

"These are the private servers of the FBI and CIA. This is how we see them," he hissed and looked over his shoulders as Skeith's tentacles snapped around plunging into different channels or larger shapes to absorb data before moving onto something else. Wherever they went black AIDA dots bubbled behind before fading away. "Before you say anything about them being seperate from the main internet that everyone else uses, let me just say this. Nothing and I do mean _nothing_ is impenetrable. If it can be created then it can be destroyed," Magus explained as the same loudmouth from before turned around and pointed accusingly at Skeith.

"How dare you! This is a matter of national security! This is a breach of American and international cyber laws!" he roared angrily and Skeith leaned forward so much that the man visibly gulped and stepped back.

"Do you really think I care? Your government and that of every other country in the world can burn in the fires of hell for all I care. Humans like you are nothing but an annoyance to us. You are hindering our efforts and if you fail to get out of our way then I have no qualms about tearing the ground right from under you until the entire nation is calling for your heads on a silver platter. We've been taking information from your server for weeks. If we wanted to we could have crashed it and damaged it beyond repair. Aihane isn't the only one who can use the power of AIDA," Skeith rumbled in reply as black dots bubbled around his clawed hands. If he had blood it would be boiling by now. This man had pushed him too far.

"Skeith." Haseo's firm warning tone made him take a deep breath to calm himself. Losing his cool wouldn't help.

Rocking back slightly Skeith let Magus take over.

Flicking his tail idly Magus continued. "If you can't maintain control over the public and please them then that's _your _problem not ours. The network, A.I's, and our A-Life systems and machines are the only things we care about. We will bring Aihane to justice and you can either help us or go down in flames with him..." he paused for a moment as the snake skull surrounding his head glimmered and stretched into a grin, "...so what's your choice? Agree to our terms or we'll ruin your servers and send every minute scrap of dirty laundry that you have to Anonymous and Wikileaks who will then delight in sharing it with the media. I wonder who the public would support after that turn of events?" he said with a delighted hiss. The men whispered urgently to themselves as Skeith's tentacles continued to steal more and more information.

Kuhn and Haseo exchanged a look before the latter looked up.

_So this is what you two had planned. Are you really going to do this? Doing this will result in riots and massive protests from coast to coast. Cities will be overrun with protesters demanding justice. It's going to be mass confusion and chaos everywhere,_ Haseo asked silently and then paused for a moment, _Then again it would allow hacktivist organizations to use their new influence to keep the people from doing too much pysical damage and allow us to use A-Life systems to keep the peace and keep a sense of order. We could easily come out of this on top, but humans are also unpredicable. What if this entire thing goes south on us? _He added as a cautious reminder.

Skeith stood up and summoned both scythes to his hands and rested one across his shoulders. In the past he would not have thought twice about pulling a bluff like this to get what he wanted. Key words being _in the past._ Since absorbing Scorpius power and reaching his final form though things had changed and his already dark personality had gotten far, far darker. Looking down at his master Skeith thought for a moment.

_I don't bluff. _Simple and to the point. He said it and he was going to follow through with it.

Haseo pursed his lips and looked ahead. After a moment he lowered his head slightly and closed his eyes. _I have no objections,_ he responded.

Magus circled the men until they were surrounded by his coils. "So what's your answer? We're not waiting around forever," he demanded. An older man with gray hair and a broad mustache turned and shook his head. He had been the first to object earlier as well.

"See what you've brought this organization to? See what you've done? Your arrogance and pride has caused this and you have no one but yourself to blame. You never should have been instituted as the head of the FBI and by God I promise that no matter what happens now you _will _be brought to justice for all the corruption you've covered up during your time here," he said bitterly before looking up at Skeith. "Please don't judge all of us by the mistakes of this fool here. If you'll have me then I'd be more then happy to help G.U. bring down this criminal hacker known as Aihane. He is a threat to all of us. It doesn't matter who brings him down so long as he is brought to justice by _someone_," he said and a few younger men from both the FBI and CIA visibly agreed and moved to stand with him.

"It's fools like you who are the cause of this! You're going to let these babbling bits of computer dust order you around?" the loudmouth demanded.

"ENOUGH!" Skeith roared and his tentacles snapped back and shivered with anger before snapping forward and plunging in and out of the data around them, spreading black AIDA dots like a disease as they went. Within seconds the black virus was spreading everywhere on the server and into the channels that ran out of it as well. The glowing orbs of data withered and shattered like glass as if they had been eaten chewed up and then spit out.

Turning back to them Skeith added, "You've made your choice now you'll have to deal with the after effects. Have fun explaining this to the general public. I know the media is going to have a field day for sure." He sliced open a data tear with his scythe and turned his back. "We're done here, but we'll have someone watching in case any more of you decide to get some sense," he added before slipping through it.

Magus sneered at them an then saluted the few men who had decided to side with them. "Don't worry guys G.U. will be in touch. If you're really interested in helping us out then we'll make sure you come out of this relatively unscathed. We're not _totally_ heartless you know," he said cheerily. With a flick of his wrist he disconnected them and kicked them off the server before following after Skeith.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen and Terra was driving via a combination of night vision and GPS. Not that she needed the latter her memory was more than good enough. Along with regular headlights she also had special lights that were on a wavelength the human eye and standared issue night vision equipment couldn't pick up either.<p>

Two of her team member had been switched out monday and these last few days had been spent getting used to the new soldiers as well as her new messaging system. Rather then basic sentances, images, or hints, she had been upgraded to a full messaging system that allowed her to talk more fluently with her team. Apparently they hadn't been expecting the sudden burst of attitude that followed. The one female soldier that had been with Terra before had been able to stay on and they were turning into quite a combination now that she could actually talk more normally to the humans.

Even better was the fact that her previous awful driver was gone and the new one allowed her to drive the majority of the time. Bad part was that he complained the entire time that she was going the wrong way, taking the wrong path, driving into an ambush and so on. At least he was sleeping right now so she didn't have to listen to his mouth. They had been arguing back and forth all day so some peace and quiet was very much appreciated right now.

Flipping the undercarriage radar on Terra started scanning for landmines and any makeshift roadeside bombs. It would scan ahead and several feet below ground and pick up anything that wasn't organic. Anything metal, plastic, or electronic in any possible way would show up bright and clear.

The other soldiers riding inside of her were clearly tired also after a full day of training and patrolling together. Rather then chastising them, Terra let them sleep until only the woman was left awake. She was currently writing up a report for today. Her name was Brenda... Barbara... Betty?

_Ok so maybe my memory could use a little work. I know its something with the letter B... or it has the letter B in it... at least I think it does, _Terra admitted and slowed down as the radar picked up something a quarter of a mile ahead. It was plastic and filled with something that could only be identified as a "non organic chemical mixture". In other words a chemical bomb. Probably meant to be either corrosive to any soldier that tried to disarm it manually or a deadly gas for any vehicle that activated it.

Thinking quickly, Terra scanned the area with her heat scanner and picked up at four figured hiding on the hill over looking the road. There were two on each side.

_Ambush!_ Terra thought as her tires stuttered with indecision. Standared or home made equipment wouldn't pick her up, but they'd have to be deaf not to hear the sound of her engine coming down the road. It was too late to turn back. Thankfully she was built for offroading. These steep hills meant nothing to her.

Sounding piercing alarm inside the cabin she woke everybody up and told them to brace themselves.

"What's going on?" the guy sitting in her driver's seat asked. Terra remembered his name because she had adopted the nickname "Hardhead Harry" for him. No matter what suggestion she made he always had a better one. Better in _his _mind at least.

The screen inside the cab flashed and showed her plan. It was a simple manuever for her to roar up the hillside and dip back onto the road to avoid the bomb. It would be a bumpy ride for sure but nothing short of a direct hit from a rocket would stop her and even then she would be severely damaged but could keep rolling. Her tires were far too tough for bullets or grenades to destroy outright and her armor would keep the soldiers inside safe from any bullets. The tricky part was what would come after they went around the bomb. There could be others waiting down the road in their own vehicles ready to follow or intercept them.

_We can worry about that later,_ Terra thought as hit the gas and lurched forward picking up speed. Wheeling around to the left she roared up onto the hill and back down onto the road as her sensors warned her. Tearing back to the right she barely managed to avoid the shoulder mounted rocket that flashed and screamed down towards her. It exploded behind them and showered the windows and sides with rocks as Terra screamed down the rugged road at increased speed. The shot must have been a desperate one because it didn't come anywhere near hitting them. It wasn't like they'd be able to see much in this gloom. The potential shrapnel it had thrown out was a different matter, but she'd have someone check her for that later.

Harry turned around in surprise and looked back at the screen. "What's going on? Who's shooting at us? Who attacked us? Who did you piss off now?" he demanded. Terra barely resisted the urge to spin the wheel and "conveniently" let her driver's side door open so he would fall out. It was the middle of the night, in the desert, with no lights. How was she supposed to know who it was?

Instead she flashed a snarky message on screen for him.

_Do you see any facial recognition software on this dashboard? And I was avoiding a roadside bomb if you don't mind. Next time I'll stop and let you fall on it._

Harry bristled, but was distracted by the sound of gun fire. Immediately he went for his gun.

_Don't panic they're shooting blind. Our best bet is to pull away from them and pull off road to hide until they give up, _Terra put up another message on screen as her sensors picked up the sound of two vehicles far behind her.

"No way, we should keep going until we get back to base. We'll out distance them in no time," Harry retorted.

Abigail—that's what her name was—quickly objected as usual.

"No way! Terra is right. Our best bet is to try and lose them. Then go back to base another way. They already know where the base is but we don't need to hand it to them on a silver platter by driving them straight up to the front gate so they can blow it down with a rocket," Abigail objected firmly. She and Harry were always fighting. He complained about every decision and suggestion the A-Life system made while she supported Terra every time.

This time Alex spoke up. He was the second new soldier that had been moved onto her team. He was an excellent soldier and a great team leader. He always stayed calm and issued firm orders no matter how chaotic the situation, but his personality could use a little work.

"Stop arguing. If not for Terra's sensors we wouldn't even have known there was a bomb there until we were all dead," Alex said from the back seat as he checked his rifle. "We need to lose them. Terra is a very valuable piece of equipment and we can't afford to lose it," he added calmly.

_Equipment? Who are you calling "equipment"? How about I "equip" you right out of the back seat and onto the road to get shot at?_ The message Terra fired back matched her seething temper. Every time he referred to her it was _always_ as a machine and... ok, so she _was_ a machine but a few personal pronouns here and there never killed anyone. She was more then just expensive hardware and pretty lights.

Her onboard cameras picked up the frown Abigal shot Alex from the front seat before she turned back around and patted the dashboard. "Ignore the guys. They'd be lost without you. Just keep going. I know you'll get us through this in one piece. You always take such good care of us," she said warmly clutching her own rifle tighter as they roared over a bump in the road.

Harry rolled his eyes as Andre spoke up from the back seat. "The ladies have a point man, we got bigger things to worry about. We need to stay focused in case something happens," he said siding with Terra as well. He turned around where the headlights of the two vehicles behind them were clearly visible through the back window.

_Awww, I'm loved after all,_ Terra messaged flashing a heart up on the screen. Harry looked away in disgust as the road map came back on screen.

"Wait! Right there! Turn right just after you go around the upcoming bend! Those tunnels were used by terrorists to run supplies, it will come out all the way on the other side about 16 miles away from the base," Harry informed tapping the touch screen and circling a picture of a cave opening. "It will be a tight squeeze and its easy to get lost inside them. The GPS should already have the entire system mapped out though," he said as the turn he was speaking about came up.

As much as Terra disliked him she knew it was a smart move and the best chance they had of getting away unscathed. It was already a tight corner and it took some slick manuvering to whip around into the tunnel. It slanted down and back up again as the two vehicles that had been behind them kept driving straight ahead after turning the corner.

There was silence for a moment before Andre spoke up. "Looks like we lost them. Now we just gotta find our way outta here and hope a rock slide doesn't trap us," he said bringing up a good point. The vibrations from her driving, and occasionally hitting the walls, could bring the rickety tunnel crashing down. One of her dashboard cameras had automatically taken pictures of few signs they had roared past on their way in here. All of them clearly portrayed danger from rock slides and one had a warning about remaining explosives.

There was silence in the cab as each sign flashed on screen inside.

_If I get trapped in here then I swear I'm coming back to haunt your computers, _Terra vowed as she slowed down and turned her regular headlights on.

"Just keep driving would you? I want to get back and get some rest," Harry retorted.

_Not before you check my tires and undercarriage for shrapnel. The last thing we need is to end up in the middle of nowhere because that rocket hit me somewhere that's not as protected by armor, _Terra countered as Abigail came to her rescue once again.

"Of course we will. It's the least we can do to thank you for keeping us safe," she said kindly as Harry grunted and turned away muttering about how women and machines were going to take over the earth one day.

* * *

><p>"Apparently the main websites of both the FBI and the CIA went down today around 2pm. So far the only comment we've received back from them is 'no comment' which has lead many to be very suspicious. Anonymous has already launched a pre-emptive announcement saying they are <em>not <em>responsible for this. However, they also added that not just the main websites, but the entire highly classified and secure network that both the FBI and CIA use have not just crashed, but have been destroyed beyond all possible repair," the news reporter from CNN was annoncing for the second or third time when the words Breaking News appeared at the bottom of the screen.

"Hold on. We have breaking news. A representative from Anonymous and another from Wikileaks are both saying via Twitter that they have received a _massive,_ I repeat, _massive _amount of classified documents that all appear to be straight from the FBI and CIA servers that they claim are now destroyed. They add that they must first verify the validity of these documents as well as their source before making any more decisions or announcements. Still no word from anyone from either of the government agencies, but it's certainly not looking good," they added before going to a reporter who was standing somewhere in front of the White House.

Tomonari whistled to himself as he watched the news and turned back to look at Ryou who was busy with his cell phone.

"Our flight leaves later tonight right? The sooner the better if you ask me. This whole city is going to be raging in a few days," he said as Ryou glanced up and grunted in acknowledgement. Rolling his eyes Tomonari went back to watching the TV on the wall. They were sitting in a local McDonald's right now grabbing something for lunch. Akira was sitting quietly at the table across from them trying to remain unnoticed as her job required.

"I checked with Magus but he and Skeith are busy checking through all the flights and making sure the repair logs for our plane are up-to-date," he said popping a few more fries into this mouth. These things were so addictive. Too bad they didn't have the extra seasoning flavors like they did back home.

Ryou shook his head. "As far as they're concerned there's nothing more to do but go home. We can get in contact with Anonymous and other hacktivist organizations here in America over the network and catch up on any news coverage we need from there as well. Besides the real information won't be coming out just yet anyway so there's no need to worry about it in their minds. I contacted Niketas and he is already drafting a proposal that some more sympathetic members of the FBI and CIA will be able to agree on," he said still typing away on his phone.

"So phase one is complete?"

"Phase one is complete. Now on to phase two. This is where the _real_ action starts," Ryou added with a smirk as the TV continued to drone on.

* * *

><p>A large humanoid machine walked quietly through the darkness. It was almost entirely covered by a long tattered cloak that was intended as camoflage. In its left hand was a massive weapon. It was gunblade, a weapon modeled after a fiction weapon from a popular game series in Japan. Folded it acted as a very powerful gun, extended it functioned as a scimitar that was over 4 feet long from one end to the other. One finger stayed firmly on the trigger as its heavy feet crunched over to the fallen figures.<p>

Crouching down the machine extended its right hand and touched the neck of each man in turn to make sure they were dead. Satisfied it put the gunblade away and stood back up as two ravens flew over and landed on the ground.

"Begin recording. This is Noia reporting in. There are four men dead. Facial recognition confirms previous criminal records of terrorism, rape and theft. Also arrest warrants for the death's of several Egyptian soldiers. Use of deadly force authorized by initial attack on Terra, a modified moblie tank, and by bullets fired upon me after a warning was clearly given and my intentions shown. Footage being sent back for analysis and confirmation," a deep but still nonhuman voice stated calmly as the ravens stared back at him fluttering their wings as a cold wind blew through the night.

They too were machines, only a very different kind. Chigusa had been working on them in secret and they were meant to blend in with the local environment so they could spy, record, or steal information and small items without being suspected. They had been in the works for years, but it wasn't until G.U. took over the private project that the group creating them had finally been able to access the equipment and funds they needed. They had finally been completed several months ago and after thorough training had been sent out here to Egypt along with Noia. Their feathers were actually a combination of metal fibers and regular hair and they covered a small metal body filled with wires, electronics, and nanomachines that kept the ravens in top shape.

Noia looked around from behind the hood of his cloak. Glowing blue eyes narrowed before he turned around and motioned to the ravens. Both of them flew up and landed on his shoulders. They were also A-Life systems although not nearly as advanced as most that were used in the field. Their behaviour was meant to be more like the animals they resembled and they acted accordingly. However, that didn't mean they were stupid. Their intelligence was more on the level of a child around 10 years old.

Noia on the other hand was a _Neural Operated Independent Assassin_. All A-Life systems operated using neural networks or in other words a "brain" that was meant to resemble the human brain and did resemble it in actual shape as well. Inside of his body ran not only wires, but tubes carrying various chemicals and nanomachines. The little micro machines worked to keep his body and brain moving. They could do repairs and heal any damaged areas. It was highly classified technology. Only Assassin's and machines like the raven's were equipped with nanomachines.

The difference was that he played by a different set of rules. Any machine that was operated by an A.I. or A-Life system had stict rules built into their code that kept them from wielding weapons or using them against humans. Most were incapable of inflicting any kind of harm against humans.

Assassins however played by very different rules. From the time they first awakened in their new mechanical bodies they were given permission to use deadly force or even kill if they deemed it necessary to protect themselves or someone else from harm. The catch being that the human had to show clear intent to use deadly force. When the men here had reached for their weapons that gave Noia permission to disable them. Violently if they didn't obey. Simply cracking a few wrists and breaking a few legs was all he had planned on before dragging them back to be processed by the local judicial system. When they fired several bullets at him after being warned _and _seeing one of their men end up with a broken hand that gave him permission to use deadly force.

There were only eight Assassins in operation. One of them was a RAPTOR by the name of Syrakis that had recently been dispatched to America. It alone had the authority to override the systems of other machines thus giving them permission to also use deadly force if the specific occasion necessitated such action. However, any time a human was harmed in any way the incident was recorded and reviewed to make sure proper protcol had been observed.

Because of their unique abilities and their lack of restrictions they all were created having a special bond with Mistress Innis and Lady Chigusa as well as Lord Magus. They all served them unquestionably and only them. No one else on earth could give them orders unless the person had first been cleared by one of them. Another difference was that their emotions were extremely dulled. Not totally gone, but dialed back drastically. Any decisions they made would be based on facts, logic, and the particular situation. Neither their own emotions nor that of others would affect their ability to do their jobs. Neither would it influence their decisions when it came to interactions with humans. No one would be harmed or executed without reason.

_Lady Chigusa hates violence even when it is necessary. She is putting a lot of faith in us by allowing us these freedoms. Allowing us to go wherever we please without human oversight. She believes in us and we cannot let her down. Not her and not Mistress Innis who created us with such care, _Noia considered as he looked around at the dark landscape. His nightvision lenses had been activated so it was bright as day to him.

Sweepers would in in soon to take care of the bodies.

Turning around Noia headed back into the hills. He had to get back to his twin so they could discuss what happened and make further plans. It was only a matter of time before the rebels working with Aihane made their big move. They had to be ready.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Ok as I was typing this chapter the news was on talking about how there is a "cascade" of information leaks coming from the White House. Considering what's happend in this chapter I have to say it was a little freaky since I came up with this idea before I heard about all that. Very creepy coincidence.

Anyway how did you like this chapter? I tried it make things more interesting. Skeith certainly doesn't play around and Terra's got quite the attitude doesn't she? There will be plenty of mech battles and network battles to come so just be patient a little longer. Also the last part introduced a new machine! He's an Assassin which is a special type of creation that Chigusa came up with. They'll be playing a big role in the story so keep your eyes peeled whenever you seen one enter the scene.

Thanks for reading and please review! I love reading all of your comments and story suggestions. You never know when I might decide to implement one. So keep them coming! Next chapter will be up soon!


	5. Assassin

Time-line Update and time progression: Midmorning United States, Friday August 16th to Saturday Morning August 17th somewhere in Africa or the Middle East

Chapter 5: Assassin

* * *

><p>Syrakis tapped his large toe claws against the concrete idly as he watched the exercise play out in front of him. For the past few days he and his team of RAPTORS had been working closely with a specially created unit of the United States military. All of the soldiers were quite competent and Syrakis was actually rather satisfied with the way things had been going. Only one problem remained.<p>

_Him._

Syrakis turned and narrowed his eyes at the man who was standing there talking to General Mercer. He wasn't familier with military ranks and honestly didn't care to learn them all either, but he _did _know the new man was here to observe General Mercer and report back to DARPA and the Pentagon. His accent was difficult to place but his military ID showed this name as Cyrus Corner that he had previously been assigned to a military base in Nevada. Now he was here basically to check up on them. All of the other RAPTORS were picking up on their leader's suspicion and were giving the guy a wide berth as well.

While Syrakis had only been born, or activated in his mechanical body, a short time ago he had still heard of the human phrase "go with your gut." At first he hadn't understand how a person's abdominal organs could be an accurate gauge of anything, but now Syrakis was understanding what it meant. There was no logical reason to distrust this Cyrus Corner but something in his mind, something in the pit of his being said not to trust him. Just yesterday morning Syrakis had put in a request for electronic copies of any public or confidential military and medical records that existed on Cyrus Corner. This morning an A.I. informed him the packet of information was ready and could be examined at any time, but it as it had been obtained by less than legal means it would be automatically deleted within 12 hrs unless he found something of special interest and put in a request to G.U. for further investigation.

Syrakis was prending to be interested in the current military excercises, but in reality he was linked to the network and was currently reviewing the reports he had been sent. A simple word search quickly brought up the most relevant information and Syrakis paused for a moment pulled up a medical report with the word AIDA highlighted in red.

_Captured by known cyber terrorists while visiting eastern Europe who have been proven to have close ties with Aihane. Torture using hostile, human controlled AIDA was used for several days before Cyrus Corner was recovered. Strict psychological testing was subsequently undergone to determine possibility of hostile AIDA infection or influence on normal mental abilities. Results were incomplete but after being kept on strict watch for 3 months he was released back to active duty with restrictions on travel, _Syrakis hissed and cast a dark eye over at the man. Not all AIDA were bad. In fact those few that_were_ free had been helping G.U. over the past year, but those that were hostile or enslaved by Aihane and had gotten much better at hiding themselves. Opening a link to his fellow RAPTORS, Syrakis sent a priority message with the medical file attached to it for them to look.

Strong possibility that Cyrus Corner has been infected by AIDA. Do not give him any information about yourselves, other A.I.'s or A-Life systems and do not say anything about G.U. or our masters the Epitaphs. Syrakis ordered his team into silence and received affirmative responses back from them. After a moment of thought he added another message saying, We do not recognize the authority of Cyrus Corner and shall not address him using any such military titles. Only General Mercer is to be followed and even he may be ignored if he is overruled by a higher authority or if his course of action would put others in unnecessary danger. When more affirmative responses came back, Syrakis headed over to where General Mercer and Cyrus Corner were standing and bowed his head in greeting.

His voice box software had been updated remotely so there wasn't so much of a drawn out hiss to his words now. It was still there, but not quite so overt.

"Generalll Mercerr and Cyrus Cornerrr. What do you think of my teammm? Impresssive aren't they?" Syrakis asked carefully as he eyed the man warily. Cyrus nodded to him but didn't look away from the military excercise that was going on. Right now two of the RAPTORS were performing a high speed rescue and were attempting to pull an injure soldier from a crippled humvee that was weaving back and forth.

"Every movement precisely controlled and well handled especially when it comes to direct contact with the soldiers. I'll bet you could tear a human apart before they could even think of grabbing their gun couldn't you?" Cyrus asked finally turning around to look up him with steely eyes.

Syrakis cocked his head and tapped his claws as he thought carefully about how to answer that. All of his movements were being watched and all of his words carefully monitored. Might as well give them something to think about right?

"Violenceee is always the lassst option any of usss would chooose, but we won't hesitate to use deadly force if someone'sss life is invvvolved," Syrakis said returning the man's firm gaze with a solid stare of his own. Cyrus frowned at that response.

"Do you mean a hostage? What would you do if someone had a hostage?" Cyrus asked with a clear edge to his voice. Obviously Syrakis wasn't winning any "brownie points" with him as the human expression went.

Narrowing his eyes Syrakis answered by saying, "We are herrre to work with the Americannn military braanch. Any hostagesss would likely have been captttured by a terrorissst, cyber terrorissst, militia, guerillla or other ssuch group. Groupss like thessse donnn't just take hostages for funnn. Torture whetheerrr mental or physssical is almossst alwaysss used," he stated firmly and then added, "Disssabling them annd taking theirrr weaponsss would be firsttt priority, but I would nott hesitate to kill themmm if they made a move to killl their hostage," Syrakis paused for a moment and moved his head until he was eye level with Cryrus.

"Not plannning on taking hostages anytimme soooon are youuu?" Syrakis asked leaving his veiled threat hang in the air. If this man was being influenced or controlled by AIDA then the warning should be all too clear. Immediately Cyrus Corner stiffened and openly glared at RAPTOR, but the look passed so quickly that General Mercer missed it.

Setting his lips in a grim line, Cyrus nodded to General Mercer and said, "I believe I've seen more than enough for today. I have a lot to discuss with the other panel members before any decisions are made." Nodding curtly he turned and stalked away. Once he was out of sight General Mercer turned on Syrakis angrily, but the RAPTOR cut him off before he could even begin.

"I am ordering a 24 hour wwwatch on Cyrusss Coorner and willl be doing backgrround checksss and pulling medddicalll recorddds on all Pentagonnn panel membersss. Something is not right about him," Syrakis said simply and looked up as a dragonfly floated around overhead. It was a tiny drone. It had no A.I. or A-Life system of its own but could be controlled by one. Syrakis would use it to keep watch on Cyrus Corner during his stay here. He was scheduled to stay during the RAPTORS entire training period.

Syrakis was not just an A-Life system. He was also an Assassin which meant that any commands he gave were given immediate attention by _any _available Epitaphs, not just Innis and Magus. However, he was still new to this and had not yet spent much time in the real world. While the urge to order an investigation on Cyrus Corner was strong indeed it would be better to wait. Moving too soon could cause him to slip away without being brought to justice.

_Always wait for your enemy to make the first mistake, _Syrakis remembered Lady Innis saying those words to him after he awakened in his machine body. Most A-Life systems were created and awakened in their specially created machine bodies receving whatever extra information they needed via the network. Assassins however, always spent personal one-on-one time with Innis and Chigusa online being trained and educated before being transfered to their real world bodies. That personal time helped strengthen the bond between them and helped them to better understand their purpose and role in G.U.

Syrakis flexed his claws and looked back at General Mercer who was still struggling with his words.

"Do whaat you mmmust, but our purpppose is to stop Aihanne and anyone asssociated with him. Militaryyy ranks mean nnothing to me," Syrakis added before sprinting off to join his team of RAPTORS so he could continue training with them.

* * *

><p>Aaliyah couldn't wait for this to be over. First a virus, possibly AIDA, had infected her husband's business servers and computers and now these men from Syria were here on business. Men that made it a point to insult her and ignore her at every possible opportunity.<p>

Biting back her own insults, Aaliyah instead played innocent as she watched Fariha, the cook, preparing some lobster, vegetables, and a salad along with some flat bread for the midday meal. The two men behind her continued talking in their native Farsi as if she wasn't even standing there. From the time they had first come here to London on business with her husband it had been painfully obvious that they had very low opinions of women. That was a viewpoint far too many men from the Middle East continued to hold onto. So much for changing times.

When they were told about how Aaliyah had gone to college here in London just down the street they had actually sneered at her and said it wasn't befitting for a woman to pursue such education and that such work should be left to the husband. When Aaliyah told them about the clothing store she operated downtown they added that her husband alone should be providing for his family especially when he was such a good business man. When she added that their children when to a private school together they complained that with her husband's wealth they should have a private tutor who would keep them from being corrupted by these "European savages." After all that Aaliyah wasn't about to tell them that she had been born here in England and thus qualified as one of those "European Savages" herself.

_Husband this and husband that. I'm so glad I didn't end up with a close-minded fool like them when I agreed to get married, _Aaliyah was careful to kept her thoughts to herself and her expression blissfully unaware as Fariha turned and gave her a taste of the lobster.

"Mmm, delicious. Excellent as always Fariha," Aaliyah said and the other woman bowed graciously and went back to preparing lunch.

_Hopefully these two will be gone shortly after lunch. At least I won't have to sit through the meal listening to them drone on with Karim, _Aaliyah thought knowing that her husband should be home soon. Karim had agreed to pick up their children from school before coming home to finalize business negotiations with their two guests here. Or to end them.

Karim had made it clear that he was _not_ comfortable setting up any oil or natural gas lines in their part of the country due to continuing civil unrest and rumors of government corruption fueling that unrest. However, he couldn't prove or confirm anything and their business network appeared to have a virus on it so using them to do any investigating on them was out of the picture. So Karim had turned to his wife in order to find out the truth. Aaliyah for her part was only too delighted to prove that these two were criminals in some way or another.

Grabbing her mint and lemon smoothie off the counter, Aaliyah feigned interest in the meal preperations as the men continued talking. They were speaking in low voices, but it was still simple enough to overhear them. Aaliyah's first language was English since she was raised here in London, but her family had come from Qatar just like Karim and his family so they had made sure to teach her Arabic and she had personally taken the time to learn Farsi and several other languages for business reasons. Doing so had never been such a blessing until now.

"We must finalize these negotiations. If we can get these gas lines up then we will be able to shut down the old pipes running through the north. If that's done then we'll officially be in charge of the biggest gas supply coming into the country and we'll have all we need for our air fleet and military forces. That will fueling the civil war spreading across the country side even more and arming them will help fan the flames as well. Once the government has enough pressure on it we'll use the virus he will give to us to take full control of the country's network. Manipulating the news and press will be simple with some pressure and a few bribes," one of them said in Farsi and the other shook head in warning.

"Don't forget. We must get this business deal _first_. We can do it without those gas lines being set up, but it will be far more difficult and we may not be able to depend on his help in such a case," the other man added carefully. His accent made it a little harder to understand and translate his words, but not impossible.

Aaliyah's ears perked up at that news, but she played off her curiosity by adjusting her hijab, the traditional Muslim headscarf, and taking a sip of her smoothie. But who was this "he" they both mentioned? The one who was supposed to be helping them?

_They mentioned a virus as well. All of the oil and gas pipelines Karim's business has set up are operated and monitored through network connections that feed data and results directly into our business servers and computers. If those were corrupted then you could conceivable take control of all the oil and gas pipelines we own. That's a rather big "if" though since Karim already has so many security proticols set up, but nothing is impossible, _Aaliyah frowned slightly but when the men looked over her way she passed it off as if something bad was in her drink.

The sound of a door opening drew her attention and Aaliyah wanted to run to the front of the house in relief. Any opportunity to get away from these two was more then welcome.

Turning to the men with the best false smile she could manage, Aaliyah excused herself saying, "That must be Karim. I'll be right back."

Heading out of the kitchen she went to the front door and saw Karim and the kids walking through the door. Aaliyah gave the children a hug first before turning to her husband. Karim turned to her and smiled widely. Stepping forward he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"So are our guests still alive or did you stick a knife in them already after yet another insult?" Karim whispered in her ear. That joke brought a smile to her lips and finally helped ease some of the tension. Grinning from ear to ear, Aaliyah pulled back with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I nearly threw a butcher knife at them after they insulted Fariha's cookingfor the tenth time, but I managed to keep my 'brash attitude' under wraps. You know how tempermental we women are," Aaliyah said with a roll of her eyes as Karim shooed the kids upstairs so they could get to work on their homework.

Karim turned back to her with a shake of his head. "I promise they will be gone soon. I'm sorry I can't eat lunch together with you and the children, but I want those men out of here as soon as possible. In the meantime I truly appreciate your patience," he said warmly and his words helped soothe Aaliyah's frayed nerves.

Looking back over her shoulder, Aaliyah made sure no one else was around before saying in a low voice, "Just as you thought they had little qualm about talking with me around since i'm 'just' a woman. They sound like they're planning a governement coup and need your oil and gas pipelines to do it. If they have control of the biggest oil and gas lines in the country they plan to shut down the old ones. They also mentioned being able to fuel their air force and military with the new pipelines. This of course which would infuriate the people who already feel abandoned and opressed by the army and make the civil war worse. They plan on using a virus someone gives them to take full control of the internet in the country. The government could not hold out for very long under the civil and international pressure."

Scowling at that, Karim crossed his arms and lowered his voice as well, "And I suppose they'll be manipulating the press during all this too?"

"No great tryanny would be complete without it, right?" Aaliyah raised an eyebrow at that and Karim groaned and rubbed his forehead. Mumbling under his breath he let his arms drop and glanced upstairs.

"I'll get things underway and make excuses to try and stall things for a couple more months if I can. Go upstairs and contact G.U. on your laptop since mine is still corrupted tell them exactly what the men said. While I originally contacted them about a possible AIDA infection this has gone far beyond that. These men could very well be the ones who arranged for my servers to be corrupted in the first place and it's likely this person they mentioned helping them is an international criminal that G.U. warned me about," Karim whispered to his wife and Aaliyah chewed her thumbnail as the weight of what was going on started to hit her. Karim put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"This is very important information and we have to be wise about how we use it. Not to mention the children. I will not let anyone harm them and that could easily happen of we aren't careful. Don't breathe a word of this to anyone else and don't let the help know either. While I have no doubts as to their loyalty I don't want to get them involved in this if it does get worse," Karim added before stepping forward and giving his wife a hug.

Aaliyah pulled him close and shut her eyes tightly as she thought of their children being in danger. She had a very, very bad feeling about all of this.

* * *

><p>Macha flattened her ears and narrowed her eyes as she looked around. The presence of AIDA in this area was so powerful she could smell it. When the next facility they were supposed to inspect failed to respond then Kaoru had sent his Epitaph here in check it out and try to get some more information about what was going on.<p>

Kaoru and Rhodesia were currently traveling across parts of Africa and the Middle East to look at some robotics facilities that had been set up by local governments and had since been taken over by G.U. Or more specifically by Innis and Chigusa who used them to churn out their machines by the dozens. Skeith may have no problem with them, but personally the new A-Life systems made her very uncomfortable even though their programming was based off of the Epitaphs.

_Then again maybe that's why it makes me so uneasy,_ Macha considered as she looked around at the server. It was completely chewed up. It literally looked like something had just gone around eating all the data lines, security pages, and webpage hubs. The A.I. who was supposed to be here were gone as well. Black dots bubbled in and out of different parts of the area which actually wasn't very large. All it did was operate the basics of the facility. While the building it operated did make machines, instructions for putting them together came from a clone of Innis that was placed here.

_But I don't see that Innis copy anywhere. It would not abandon its station unless it was an urgent matter. The presence of AIDA here suggests that it dissolved itself and returned to Innis herself, _Macha considered with a hiss as she examined the damage. Innis copies were endowed with the information necessary to create and put together the machines Chigusa and the original Innis designed, but if they were attacked and it seemed that they might be in serious danger in any way then they were instructed to dissolve. In that case all the information they had would automatically be transmitted back to Innis and G.U.

There should at least be one or two A.I.'s here surveying the damage like she was but aside from the hum and crackle of data trying to flow and transmit it was quiet.

Too quiet.

Macha closed her eyes and her body glowed as Karou joined her online and it came not a moment to soon.

_Above you!_ Kaoru warned her and Macha whipped around and put her claws up just as an attack came down from above. A harpoon slammed down on her metal gauntlets knocking her backwards as black dots burned her hands like fire.

Shaking them off Macha snarled as she saw who the assailant was.

"Corbenik, The Corrupted," Macha muttered to herself as she looked at her fellow Epitaph. Corbenik's eyes were empty points of blue light and his body was just disgusting to look upon. His body looked like it had been ripped apart and stitched together over and over again. The shark skull that formed most of his head almost seemed to sneer at them as the teeth in the jaws ground back and forth like teeth on a chainsaw.

His presence alone made Macha instinctively uncomfortable, but she refused to show it. Now the appearance of this area made sense. Corbenik must have literally bitten and chewed it in search of something.

_Stay focused and don't let him touch you. We don't know much about Corbenik's abilities and we can't risk being infected by something we can't fight off, _Kaoru said carefully as the two Epitaphs circled each other warily. Macha did not want to be the one who made the first move, but they couldn't stand here staring at each other the entire time either.

_We don't need to fight him, just drive him off,_ Karou said and Macha nodded as Corbenik hissed and darted forward with his harpoon extended to spear her straight through her chest. Sliding to the side Macha grabbed it with her metal clad claws and darted forward. Grabbing Corbenik's shark skull she tightened her grip until cracks started to appear all across it.

Just when it looked as if it might shatter, black ooze poured out of the empty eye sockets and burned away at Macha's metal clad hands like acid. Hissing she snatched her hand back and Corbenik whipped his harpoon around and slammed her right in the head. Its sharp points tore deep gouges into the side of her face and knocked Macha off balance. Corbenik whipped the harpoon around and caught her again in the arm tearing her sleeve and leaving a wound that burned like fire as tiny black tendrils ate away at the edge of it.

Flattening her ears, Macha cupped her hands to her mouth and used Seductive Voice sending out sound waves to confuse him. Corbenik stopped and shook his head in frustration as the attack made him dizzy.

"Hydra!" Macha called out and black AIDA dots started to bubble up on the data line running beneath her. A black mass of it rose up higher and higher until finally it started dripping off to reveal a large pink lotus on a thick vine. When it opened up there were curved teeth lining each flower petal. This should be enough to drive Corbenik away. Under other circumstances it would be a risky move since _Hydra_worked by siphoning data from the surrounding area, but none of the data here in this area was so important that it couldn't be rebuilt within a couple weeks.

Corbenik's solid blue eyes narrowed and shifted from Macha to the giant flower swaying back and forth in front of him. When the corrupted Epitaph showed no interest in attacking it first, Macha decided to take the initiative. Just trading blows back and forth wasn't going to accomplish much and her fellow Avatar didn't seem like much of a conversationalist.

_There's no point in asking why he's here. Aihane was no doubt trying to figure out how Chigusa and Innis create their machines but when he couldn't find what he wanted he just let Corbenik tear the place apart, _Kaoru offered as an explination. It did make sense.

_Like a child throwing a temper tantrum when they don't get what they want,_ Macha scoffed and shook her head. Giving the signal with her arm, she ordered the lotus to attack. Hissing loudly it shot forward teeth bared.

Before it could sink its teeth into Corbenik's head the Epitaph swung his harpoon around and speared the attacking creature right through the middle and then snapped the weapon up ripping the flower in half and then watching calmly as it dropped down below him.

Seconds later the base of the vine started glowing as it absorbed raw data from the data stream it was attached to. Within seconds it had grown back, but this time black AIDA dots swirled up along with it and split into another, second lotus.

Macha smirked and put a hand under her chin, content to watch things unfold. After all dirtying one's hands with direct combat was so unbecoming. Corbenik however, was not stupid enough to just let that happen. Pulling his arm back he sent his harpoon flying straight towards her. With a flick of her wrist both lotus' moved to intercept the harpoon and were torn in half in the process. Just like the first time both flowers split in two. Now there were four lotus flowers all swaying and hissing back at Corbenik as the harpoon landed behind them.

"Give up Corbenik. You can't win this battle," Macha said but while the corrupted Epitaph might not be stupid, he apparently wasn't smart enough to know when to quit.

Snapping his finger, Corbenik recalled his harpoon and created several more. This time he sent all of them flying and when the harpoons struck they stayed in place and bubbled out black ooze like acid that ate away at the lotus until there was nothing left.

Rolling her eyes Macha waved her hand and the base of each vine started to sprout multiple flowers all filled with snapping teeth and nasty attitudes. This time they did not sit idly by waiting to be attacked. Instead dozens of lotus' launched themselves at Corbenik wrapping around his limbs while others tried to eat his head.

Letting out an unearthly wail Corbenik shrieked as one of the flowers tore off an arm and another pulled off his leg. As soon as they did so the limbs dissolved into black acid that destroyed the flower trying to eat it, but that danger didn't stop the others from ripping the Epitaph to pieces. Black ooze splattered everywhere as the flowers sank their teeth into the Epitaph's body.

When nothing was left but the shark skull and bones they started on that as well, but a chill ran up Macha's spine and she ordered them all to pull back.

_Macha get out of there!_ Kaoru's panic surged through her as fear course through her body.

The bones that had made up part of Corbenik's body started rattling around and reconnecting forming a long shark like shape. Black ooze poured out of every crack and joint as a massive shark formed. Its tail was whip-like and razor sharp. Its eyes were stapled shut and a massive scar ran down its back. It too was held together with surgical staples and when it opened its mouth and let out a roar that made all the data on the server shiver and glitch. Corbenik's entire insides seemed to be nothing but a black hole filled with endless rows of teeth.

_That's exactly what it is!_ Macha realized as Corbenik, no, this _monster _turned toward her with a savage roar that turned in to a great inhaled breath. When it arched its back the stitches all along its body opened up to reveal another mouth that started sucking in air as well. All the flowers that had just been feasting on Corbenik's body were ripped out of place and literally _inhaled _by this... this... _thing._ All the data surrounding Corbenik peeled off in streams and the entire area started to shudder and ripple as it was caught and pulled towards the giant shark.

Chunks of data broke off and streams off code ripped away and disappeared into Corbenik's mouth. Looking up Macha could see that it was not just the information in this area that was being inhaled, it was literally the entire data space itself that was crumbling and disconnecting from the rest of the network.

Macha could feel herself being pulled towards it and quickly opened a data tear. Even as she did so it started to warp and dissolve. Quickly she slipped through it just seconds before it closed due to the strain. The area she ended up in was a local network for an oil refinery.

Silence stretched for several seconds before Kaoru spoke up, _What in the world was THAT?_

_I wish I knew, _Macha replied with a shiver. Whatever that thing was it was not something that should exist. Period.

Curious as she was to know what had happened to the area, Macha had no desire to return there.

_Send a coded message directly to Skeith alone. Describe exactly what happened in as much detail as you can and tell him to come investigate personally a soon a he can. Rhodesia and I will go to the actual facility and see what happened. The staff should have evacuated once the trouble started, but there should still be some machines left on the premises that can tell us more about what happened, _Kaoru directed her.

Macha nodded in agreement and started dictating a message to send to Skeith.

* * *

><p>Every word Macha sent in her coded voice message was replaying in Skeith's mind as he looked around. It wasn't often that he received such an urgent message. Even rarer for one of the Epitaphs to demand the presence of another at a specific location. However, the details of Macha's message left little room for hesitation. After hearing her account of the battle there was no way Skeith could just sit back and send someone else.<p>

Now that he was here Skeith couldn't believe what he was seeing. Everything that had been here, all the data, data streams, information hubs, web pages, and more were just gone. Not destroyed or collapsed like The World had been because in that case traces of scattered and glitched out data had still been left behind. It had mostly been useless except for random tidbits of information, though.

Here the entire area had been wiped completely clean. There were no trailing streams of code. No jumbled and glitching clumps of data. No broken data streams trailing off into empty space. There was just...

"Nothing," Skeith whispered as he looked around.

Everything was stark white. There was literally nothing here whatsoever. Nothing but empty space. It was like someone had taken a chunk of the network and removed it or erased everything as if it had never existed. Everything associated with the robotics facility had disappeared. Even the structure of the network itself in this area was gone. No empty webpages. No ruined connections. No structure whatsoever.

_What did Corbenik do here? And how did he do it? _Skeith considered as the AIDA arms around him searched for information to syphon and examine. Each tentacle pulled in and out of the empty space but found nothing.

Nothing at all.

_We've never seen anything like this from Corbenik before. From any Epitaph before actually. Has he always had this ability? Or is it something new? _Skeith wondered as he recalled his AIDA arms to great disatisfaction. Whatever Corbenik had transformed into it obviously had managed to swallow all of the information, data, and code in this area. What happened to it after that was a mystery. It was like someone had taken a perfectly sphere of information out of the network without damaging anything else around it and left nothing behind but a vast empty hole.

_I have to report this back to Ryou and Niketas as well. He needs to be informed about this new development. If Corbenik is strong enough to just strip the area like this then there is no telling what else he might be capable of. In addition nothing can touch him without their own code being corrupted and eaten away like acid. The title of The Corrupted fits him perfectly and we don't know how to fix him or how Aihane is still controlling him. Surely the slave systems he's using on the others can't be working on Corbenik with his code so screwed up the way it is now, _Skeith thought as he considered their prospects. None of it looked good.

_We've never had to face an enemy with this type of abilty. What if Macha hadn't gotten out of there in time? Would it have swallowed her as well? _Skeith thought and narrowed his eyes. As far as he knew no A.I.'s had reported back about any network holes like this and the other Epitaphs would never sit quietly on information like this.

_This could very well be the first time it has ever happened. We'll need to confirm that to be sure, but if so then it shows that Corbenik is getting more powerful, _Skeith clenched his fist as a sinking feeling came over him.

_If Corbenik is really getting more powerful then there's no telling what else he might be able to do. Aihane may not even need Aura after all, _he thought before turning to leave out of the same data tear he had orginally came through.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> I know a lot of you have been wanting more action so I tried to throw some more in for you and leave some suspense as well! Also we met some new characters! Aaliyah and Karim will be reappearing so keep a watch out for them!

Syrakis is suspicious, Macha nearly got herself eaten, and Corbenik is displaying some new, previously unknown abilities.

Also I have big news! Shattered Mirror is the number one .hack story 2 out of 3 categories! Its so amazing to see all the support for it and to see new people reading it all the time. I love all of you and thanks so much for your support! This story really would not be as good as it is without you. I love all of your reviews and suggestions!

Now onwards to the next chapter!


	6. Death Reaper

**AN: **First off and more importantly than anything in this chapter I want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with those in Gaza, Israel, Syria, and all the other countries in the Middle East and around the world right now that are fighting or dealing with intense conflict. No matter who is at fault it is the innocent civilians and children who end up suffering the most. Be careful and stay as safe as you can everyone!

Also I want to say I'm sorry I've taken forever and a day to update this story again, but I've been fighting hard against my depression. I've been dealing with it for a couple years now, but these past few months have been incredibly rough for me. Anyone else who has to deal with it knows how easily and quickly it will sap your energy and interest in even the things you love the most. However, thanks to my best friends I'm had a strong dose of reality and am feeling better. Still very much suffering from depression but feeling a _little_ better nonetheless.

Good enough to try and get out a more interesting chapter for all of my wonderful readers! I know things have been a little boring in this story so far (a sentiment echoed by Magus later in this chapter) but I promise I haven't forgotten you all! I had three quarters of the chapter done when I realized how dull it was and deleted everything. Then I restarted it, got to the third section, stared at it, realized it was going to turn this into yet another boring chapter and deleted that as well.

So after three tries I finally ended up with a chapter that I am satisfied with and that will hopefully satisfy you all as well! There's not one but two fight scenes (but I've said before that's not my strong suit so remember that and go easy on me would you?), you'll meet a new Assassin which is one of the special machines Chigusa and Innis have created, and Fidchell is back and in his final/ultimate form all shiny and pretty for you to see!

You'll even get to see Aihane and figure out what he's planning. And you'll want to pay close attention to his part because I can tell you that things have changed.

I hope this chapter meet's your expectations everyone! Thank you for reading and sticking with me through this!

Time-line Update and time progression: Southern Egypt Friday August 16th to Saturday August 17

Chapter 6: Death Reaper

* * *

><p>Noia watched from a nearby hill as the armored defense vehicle named Terra pulled up and began working on the damaged internet pipeline. The thick cables ran underground and were normally inaccessable, but here a concrete bunker had steps leading down into a small space where humans could access and service the cables. The terrorist attacks were already underway and the government mainframe was under assault even now. The American's thought that this location had been hacked and was being used to slip AIDA into the Egyptian internet servers from neghboring countries. This place was right on the border after all.<p>

A loud squawk alerted Noia and he looked up to see his raven's flying back to him. They both swooped down and landed on a gnarled tree beside him. Communication happened through a single but very secure and complex channel that Noia had created specifically and only for them.

_Bad men! Bad men plant bomb in bunker! Kill soldiers when they go to bottom! _One of them said flapping its wings urgently. The other bobbed its head in agreement.

_AIDA already come and gone. Enter out in desert. Big antenna in the desert. Big, BIG antenna. Sends signals to bad men. Bad men put black boxes on network cables and let AIDA in. Then they take it away and leave. Ambush! Humans in danger! _The other said just as fervently.

Noia turned back and looked down at Terra. There was no point in him going down to intervene. If Terra didn't sense the danger and stop her team from entering the bunker then that was her failure not his. Before Noia had intervened but that was with humans he had already been tasked with hunting down. Now no terrorist or rebels were in sight and investigating who exactly had planted the bomb would not only waste precious time, but reveal his position prematurely as well.

It took a moment before Noia realized that his raven's were still sitting there fidgeting.

_Is there something else? _Noia asked curiously and they looked at each other and mumbled in low tones for a few seconds before starting to bicker and then flapping and squawking angrily. They had the intelligence of children and the behavior of them too. When they had finally sorted things out one spoke up.

_Death Reaper is here and heading for the big antenna, _it responded and those words made Noia freeze. He had seen his fellow Assassin once several weeks ago when it was being built and even that small glimpse made his electronics shiver. Most Assasin's had personal names inspired by acronyms, but Death Reaper got its name from Skeith's title and was unlike any other Assassin created so far. Probably unlike any machine that would ever be created. This situation must be serious indeed if G.U. had deployed it here to this area.

_Thank you. Lead me back to the big antenna. One of you keep track of Death Reaper and the other should keep watch over any men that are working there and follow them if they try to escape,_ Noia commanded and both raven's nodded in agreement and flew off to their assigned tasks.

Turning back he saw that two soldiers had gotten out of Terra and were staring into the concrete bunker with their weapons up. Tuning into their communication channel, Noia picked up on Terra's comminication with them.

_My sensor's are picking up another device in there. Similar to the response I would get from a old radio or alarm clock or something. It's most likely a bomb set to go off when you open the door at the bottom of the steps. Going in is too risky. _That was the message Terra sent to her team and seconds later both soldiers pulled back and got back inside her cabin.

_A bomb sitting that close to the internet cables likely means that the terrorists are out to disable the internet and reroute it through their own servers. That would allow as many AIDA as they needed to enter in and overwhelm the Egyption network, _Terra added and Noia silently congratulated the A.I. on her correct analysis of the situation.

_Foreign signals have been coming from here intermittently. Probably a device that was placed and then removed as needed. We need to find out what they are using as their main signal router and find a way to take it down while the rest of the assault teams try to keep the capital from falling apart. Tanks and helicopters are shelling buildings while terrorists have murdered several politicians already. The internet has been hacked and the media is already being controlled to keep bigger nations from finding out what is going on. We have to cut off the AIDA's entry point. The internet here is not yet as complex and diversified as it would be in bigger countries. Once their entry point is closed there will only be a few other options for the AIDA fragments to get out off the countries servers and those that do exist won't be able to handle the strain of so much data trying to leave at once. Getting out will take much longer so a team of soldiers may be able to find a way to trap them in once spot until it's decided what to do with them, _Terra's analysis of the situation was quite commendable not to mention very accurate.

Seeing that everything here was taken care of, Noia turned and pepared to head off towards the large antenna that his raven's had already marked for him on an electronic map. Death Reaper was the newest Assassin to be completed and sent out for operation, but it worked quite differently. While he and Syrakis had the authority to wield weapons and kill humans under certain circumstances, Death Reaper was deployed for that sole purpose.

_It's an executioner plain and simple. The only time it is released and given a mission is when there is someone or a group of people that needs to be killed. Lady Chigusa hates fighting, but knows at the same time that it may often be unavoidable. Death Reaper is modeled after Skeith himself while Syrakis represents Macha and was given the ability to command not only his own team of RAPTORS but to override that of other machines as well_, Noia considered as he turned and walked back to his four-wheeler; he had hidden it behind large boulder. _I was created in the shadow of Tarvos who even now is in chains, enslaved by Aihane. My main purpose is to track down and apprehend international terrorists and criminals, apprehending or killing them if necessary while Syrakis and his team work as a group either by themselves or with human armed forces to surround and take in groups of people, _he considered as he pulled the camoflouge cover off his four-wheeler and carefully folded it up.

_There must be a very high ranking criminal running this operation for Death Reaper to be deployed. It's only deployed when there is someone that needs to be taken out immediately and without mercy,_Noia put the cover away and climbed onto the large four-wheeler. All Assassin's have emotions that were dulled so that they could accomplish their jobs without the emotional instability that might plauge other systems, but Death Reaper operated on a whole different level.

One that made Noia very, _very_ uncomfortable.

* * *

><p>By the time they realized they were being watched it was already too late.<p>

One of the men had just backed up a stolen army humvee when the man guiding him into place shouted in alarm and raised his gun. Bullets of any kind were useless against this enemy, however. There was nothing they could do but watch as the sand erupted and the humvee was tossed up in the air like an empty soda can.

"Monster! Monster!" the men shouted in Arabic as a sleek black machine in the shape of a scorpion burst up from the sandy desert floor. It was at least twice size of a tank. Probably bigger. Before it had fully emerged from the ground it had used its two massive four-pronged claws to grab the humvee in the air and rip it clean in half. The man inside it fell out and was killed when the scorpion fell heavily back to earth and one of its legs mercilessly stepped on him. Hissing it threw both halves of the humvee at the massive antenna in the center of the hastily built camp, effectively knocking off a few radar dishes with one piece and snapping off the top half with the other.

Men had come running at the noise and were now emptying all of their ammo out onto the enemy machine. Unfortunately for them the bullets simply bounced off its armor as it turned around to face them. A long segmented tail rose up to arch over its body with a long spike shielded at the tip. A man with a shoulder mounted rocket launcher crouched down preparing to fire at the monster.

Seeing him the scorpion immediately retaliated. The metal panels covering each segment on the back of its tail slid down to reveal the latest and most efficient solar panels that had been available commercially. The tail spike shot forward into attack position as the four metal brackets around it released allowing the armor to open up partially. A blinding flash of blueish-white light was the only warning they had. The air shimmered and the rocket launcher the man had on his shoulder exploded violently taking him and several others out with it. Unlike the movies real lasers didn't give off any fancy light shows unless it was dark.

"Get the tanks! Kill it!" men shouted as they continued to fire.

Narrowing its cold blue eyes the scorpion fired its laser again sweeping it across the entire area before it killing most of the men, blowing up four parked humvee's and setting two tents on fire. One of the men had his legs caught by the laser and was still trying to crawl away.

But today mercy was not part of the program.

One of the scorpion's claws shot out like a drill. It was attached to the main body by a braided metal chain that was covered all up and down by hooked barbs. Snapping open the claw grabbed the mans burrned legs and with one smooth motion the scorpion whipped its arm around and sent him flying into and ultimately through a tent and destroying all the electronics that had been set up inside of it. When it retracted its claw the four chains seperated and spun around making the barbed hooks attached to them just as deadly as the initial attack.

When the arm was reattached the scorpion started moving forward indescriminately picking up men and killing them with a simple flick of its claws or by tossing them aside like ragdolls. Seeing that their guns were useless all of the terrorists gathered here had started trying to escape only to be caught by the machine's pinpoint laser attacks.

Dust and sand blew in everywhere as a helicopter lifted off the at the edge of the camp. Whether it was trying to escape or shoot at the machine from the air was unclear as it never got the chance to do more then turn around. Once again the scorpion's claw shot out and grabbed the back of the helicopter sheering the back end clean off before grabbing the main body and yanking it backwards. Destablized the chopper swung wildly from side to side and the scorpion moved around on the ground trying to keep hold of it.

The chugging rumble of two tanks caught its attention. One was readying its cannon even as two men shouted and screamed for the drivers to get out of there. Pulling heavily, the scorpion slung the helicopter around and brought it crashing down into the first ank with an explosion that took out both men and sent shrapnel flying everywhere killing several more. It used its tail laser on the next. Keeping it focused on the front of the tank until the powerful beam had burned through the metal and shot into the cabin killing everyone inside either directly or from the extreme heat that was given off. With both tanks imobilized the machine looked around for more victims. Retracting its claw the scorpion scanned the flames and twisted metal for any signs of life. When it's scanners picked up frantic activity on the other end of the camp it hissed and used its claws as drills to dig into the earth and tunnel towards them.

The escaping men never even knew what hit them.

Shooting out of the sand the scorpion flew up and over the escaping jeep. As gravity dragged it back down to earth it brought its own claw down onto the car like a hammer, smashing it to pieces. Disgusted it shoved the crippled metal out of its way and turned around. It fired off a laser just in time to stop a rocket that had been fired at it. Once the smoke from the explosion cleared only a circle of disturbed rock and sand remained where the machine had just been.

Back at the edge of the camp the last remaining tank jerked and then shifted suddenly as its front end rose up into the air. All around the tank sand started sliding down as a hole suddenly opened up underneath it. With a loud groan the tank slid backwards as the scorpion shifted the earth aside. Crunching and screeching metal came from the pit as the tank was ripped apart piece by piece. Finally the sand stopped but a moment later the tank treads belched out of the pit and landed the right on tent to the right crushing it and those unfortunate enough to have tried to hide inside it.

Following the treads was the gun barrel of the tank, but it had been twisted like a pretzel and wouldn't be firing anything every again. Climing up out of the pit the scorpion casually flicked large pieces of the tank this way and that as it looked around for anyone else.

Few people remained and the scorpion used its scanners to target all of them and track them. Its back panels opened up like doors to show hundreds of tiny rockets. At least twenty of them shot up and shot off in different directions towards their intended targets. Moments later explosions sounded simultaniously across the camp.

There was still one thing left that needed to be done. Heading to the center of the now ruined camp the machine pointed its laser at the antennae and adjusted the power level. Using the laser it melted the metal at the top of the antennae and at the base until it was sagging and falling over. Once that was done the scorpion retracted its laser and covered the solar panels on the back of its tail. Walking closer it reached up and grabbed what was left of the top of the antennae and then gripped the meldting base with its other claw. Ripping the antennae clear off its foundation it bent the metal and the cables until it had pushed the top and the bottom together. Before long the red-hot metal would cool off and fuse together.

No more antennae meant no more easy access for AIDA and no easy way to escape.

With that task taken care of it scanned the area again and sensed a few humans left. Turning around it walked over with no particular hurry and used its tail to rip off and fling away the tent cover. Inside of it were two women and a young boy.

Using facial recognition it identified one woman as the wife of the current Egyptian president and the other as his aunt. Likely they had been taken as hostages. Settling back the scorpion stared at them for several long and unnerving seconds. Unnerving for the humans at least. Hostages had not been factored into its mission plan. Oh well. If there had been other hostages here then they were dead now. No point in dwelling on what could not be changed.

As it considered the situation its scanners searched the surrounding area. They picked up an armored humvee speeding their way. It would be here in only a few minutes. The coded signal clearly identified it as Terra a fellow machine. No doubt she was carrying a team of human soldiers to examine or take down the antennae that had been here. They also picked up the presence of Noia on a nearby hill no doubt watching the carnage. It was a good thing he had opted to stay back and out of the way. He would probably come down here to keep Terra or the humans she carried from doing anything rash and unintentionally irritating the scorpion.

Waiting here and guarding these humans until Noia, Terra and her team arrived would be the best option. Settling back, Death Reaper kept its eyes on the terrified humans as it waited for everyone to get here.

* * *

><p>AIDA fragments were everywhere. All the data here had been mined for information and was now in the process of being destroyed.<p>

_That's why we're here to save the day!_ Magus said coiling his long body around one broken data channel even as he attacked and destroyed any AIDA that dared to come near him.

_We aren't here to save anyone or anything. All we need to to chase these AIDA into the next area. Once that's done the soldiers will remove all physical connections to that area while we do the same thing from this side, _Tomonari said as Magus shot forward and caught a Helen fragment in his coils. He squeezed it tighter and tighter until it cracked and burst apart.

_Whatever. Just so long as we capture some. If we can snag a few that Aihane has enslaved then we'll have a better idea of how his slave systems work. The ones he put in me, Skeith, Innis, and Macha may have failed, but the ones in the other Epitaphs are still working overtime, _Magus said letting out a vocal hiss as the snake skull on his head shot a stream of acid from its fangs. Several AIDA were caught in the attack and within seconds their data had dissolved into worthless chunks. Those who had been enslaved by Aihane now had black striated lines all over them while others lacked such markings and were clearly cooperating with the hacker of their own free will. Plenty of AIDA were friendly towards humans but some of them were not and they were enough to cause serious problems worldwide.

Putting up his shield Magus blocked another wave of AIDA before easily dispatching them with a swipe of his tail. It was rather pathetic how simple they were to destroy now. One or two hits and it was game over for them. It was disappointing. He had come a long way from his previous two forms, but like all the Epitaph's he still had a lingering hunger for battle. This was far from a challenge.

_Things have been boring lately. All talk and no action! _Tomonari agreed feeling the thrill of battle course through his veins.

The AIDA fragments knew they were being herded to another area and were trying everything they could to get away. A few had managed to slip through before Magus used a move he called _Serpent's Bite_to scatter glowing snake skulls all throughout the edge of the area. Anytime an AIDA came near one it would fly towards them like a missle and explode the minute it was close enough. Now there were thousands of them sitting there like mines just waiting for someone to trip them.

A second later Magus received a report from the military radio channel he was listening in on.

_The soldiers say they've secured the leaders of the Egyptian government and got the most important parts of the capital secure. We need to move quickly and... _Magus was cut off when the snake skulls he had set suddenly exploded all at once and all of the AIDA scattered in the confusion.

_What the...? _Tomonari readied himself for a fight as AIDA began to disappear into data tears at the edge of the area. He wanted to go after them but Magus refused to move.

_Fidchell is here,_ Magus said tensely as the data distorted and a large figure appeared in front of them. It was swathed in a red and yellow robe similar to a monk. It's yellow bird-like feet were tipped with huge talons and it was covered in short goldish brown feathers. Its head was that of an eagle with Fidchell's familiar mask covering the left side. In one feathery hand it had a metal edged fan half as big as it was and its arms had long feathers golden brown feathers on them.

Fichell's bright yellowish eyes stared back at them calmly. Black shackles and long chains connected both of his arms showing that he was still enslaved by Aihane.

_Well it looks like Aihane finally managed to track down Fidchell's AIDA counterpart, _Tomonari stated sourly. Fidchell's left eye glowed brightly for a moment before returning to normal. With one smooth movement he lifted the fan and set it across his shoulders practically telling them to come and get it. Written on the fan in calligraphy was the title "The Oracle."

_Hey we wanted a good fight didn't we? Let's see what Fidchell is capable of now! _Magus thought springing forward from his coiled stance before his User could tell him to wait. Before he reached the other Epitaph an energy beam hit Magus in the side throwing him into and then shattering a data stream that was steadily breaking apart.

_What the heck...?_

Magus got back up and looked around but didn't see anyone or anything else. All the other AIDA had unfortunately escaped. Turning his gaze back to Fidchell he saw the Epitaph standing there still watching him calmly. Did he send that attack somehow? But he hadn't even moved!

_Be careful. We don't know what Fidchell can do, _Tomonari reminded him and this time Magus listened.

Hissing, Magus slithered forward and used _Viper's Poison _to shoot a stream of acid at Fidchell who whipped the fan around opening it in the process to block the attack.

"Thou hast grown mightily weak if thine attacks are so paltry in strength," Fidchell dryly intoned.

Narrowing his eyes, Magus charged his energy and used _Flash of Green _to fire multiple green lasers up and down the area. Bringing the fan around in a circle Fidchell swiftly disappeared. Turning around Magus brought his shield up just in time. Fidchell had reappeared behind him and brought the full weight of his closed fan down on the shield. When it glanced off, Fidchell jumped back and opened his fan until it was almost a perfect circle. It spun quickly as Fidchell spread his arms out above his head. Glowing brightly an energy beam shot out from the fan towards Magus who quickly dodged it and lept forward to attack again.

Grabbing his fan, Fidchell snapped it shut and slammed it straight up into Magus' bottom jaw shaking his skull and that of Tomonari as well. Again his left eye glowed brightly before fading back to normal.

Falling back, Magus recovered and lashed his long body out like a whip grabbing Fidchell around the waist and coiling around him with_ Binding Scales_. Fidchell still showed little emotion and gazed back impassively.

Sensing that something was wrong Tomonari urged his partner to look around.

_Magus behind us!_

Turning around Magus tried to bring up his shield, but the energy beam shattered it and hit him straight in the chest throwing the Epitaph to the bottom of the ruined data space. Wincing he got back up and coiled his body defensively. Where had that come from? Had Fidchell predicted his movements? Sent an attack into the future?

"What are you doing here? What do you want?" Magus demanded as Fidchell stood there still infuriatingly calm.

Cocking his head to the side, Fidchell responded, "Thine human agents hide many secrets. So sure thou hast been of who you protect? Serve as guardian unto all thine innocents shall ye? Even thy filthiest scum and destrius of thine earth hast spoken thine truth at some turn of the clock."

Magus hesitated and Tomonari got the distinct feeling that Fidchell was trying to tell them something important.

"Why are you here? Sure this is a big operation, but still just terrorism. What's in it for Aihane?" Magus asked but Fidchell shook his eagle head as the fan opened up and floated above his head.

"Thou question is not recognized," Fidchell said as the fan glowed and another energy beam shot towards him. Hissing at that, Magus shot forward weaving in and out as the Avatar continued to fire down upon him. He was trapped at the bottom of the area and had little place to hide. Either way this fight looked like it could end up in a rather boring stalemate.

Coiling up like a spring, Magus leaped up and dipped between and around the shots Fidchell fired. He had gotten within feet of him when Fidchell suddenly vanished. Looks like he had retained the ability to teleport. However, this time Magus would not be fooled. Bringing up his arm, Magus blocked the swing of Fidchell's fan as he attacked from the left and fired an energy shot with his other hand to knock him off balance. Extending the leaf shaped spikes on his long body, Magus whipped his tail around and grabbed the Epitaph throwing him down to the ground and then pounding him with more energy shots. This time he kept his body wrapped around his enemy.

"Aihane isn't just helping terrorist groups for his own interests. Even if they are trying to overthrow the current and legitimate government and control the internet," Magus observed as Fidchell stared back calmly from between the large snake coils.

"Thine speculations are as fascinating as a butterly with severed wings."

_Good lord, being with Aihane has messed him up more than we thought, _Magus said mentally with a groan, but Tomonari shushed him.

Once again Fidchell vanished, but this time energy beams came from all directions so quickly that Magus couldn't possibly protect himself. They smashed what little data was left into bits and pounded him over and over again. Magus could easily stand the assault, but Tomonari was far more fragile and in the real world he could feel his body jerk and start coughing up blood.

_Tomonari!_ Magus said and that moment of distraction was just what Fidchell needed. Teleporting in front of him, Fidchell punched his fist straight into Magus' chest. The entire data space shuddered as the Avatar literally _pulled_ the Epitaph and his User apart.

Gripped in his hand was Kuhn, the PC Tomonari had always used in The World. Casually tossing him aside Fidchell grabbed Magus head and pulled him closer. Bristling he tried to attack but froze when Fidchell leaned in with his beak close to the side of his skull. This time he lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Thine old allies are running out of time. Aura flees for deep waters, but simple chains thou bright child need not fear. Something worse thine dark one does control now. Promises of more fill The Corrputed with needed sustenance. Slavery is not all what awaits the bright child. Changed thine plan has the dark one and Aura shall be the catalyst for his new age. Heed thou should The Oracle's words," Fidchell's beak clacked sharply in warning before he pulled back and used his fan to open up a data tear. He went through and it sealed shut behind him.

Although he was stunned by the words Magus didn't have time to consider them. Hurrying over to Kuhn he turned his User over, but already knew that he was unconscious from a heart attack. Within seconds he had received a message from Innis explaining that Tomonari was being taken care of and would soon be on his way to the hospital as well as demanding to know what was going on over there.

Ignoring the latter part of the message, Magus cradled Kuhn's prone form in his arms and thought about what Fidchell had told him. They hadn't exchanged nearly enough blows to have done any serious damage to one another, but every attack telegraphed back to the User. Even more so now that the Epitaphs had reached their complete forms. Clearly this was a matter that needed to be discussed and taken care of as soon as possible, but what Fidchell said had to be addressed first.

Clearly they were running out of time anyone knew that, but Fidchell also indicated that the plan had changed. At least that was assuming the "dark one" was Aihane. They already know that _The Corrupted_was Corbenik's new title. Evidently just capturing and enslaving Aura wasn't what Aihane wanted, at least not anymore, but somehow his plan still called for her.

_Rhodesia and Niketas can argue over the implications of what Fidchell said later on, _Magus considered as he thought about what to do next. Obviously he wanted to go back to Japan and make sure he was ok, but realistically he knew that Tomonari was in perfectly capable hands back at G.U. and that Chigusa and Innis would make sure he got the healthcare that he needed. Besides once Tomonari recovered his first questions would be about how the operation here in Egypt went and whether they'd been successful.

Biting back his annoyance, Magus easily hacked the firewalls on the miltary network that had been set up over here and opened a connection there so he could look over the operations personally in addition to hearing the chatter of the soldiers as they conducted their missions. Now was not the time to let sentiment cloud good judgment.

* * *

><p>Aihane took a long drag on his cigar and breathed out a cloud of noxious smoke. The woman serving him twitched at the foul stench, but kept her smile plastered in place even so. He ordered some vodka and waved her off. Nodding to him she scurried back inside the hotel to prepare his drink.<p>

Usually there was no rest for the wicked, but a vacation was just what Aihane needed. Keeping track of all the operations he had going was exhausting. A few days relaxing at a far too expensive resort in South America and he would be back in fighting shape once again in no time. Even international criminals needed to de-stress once in a while. Technically the cigar he was smoking was illegal here, but he'd paid the management enough money for them to ignore his presence completely unless he specifically requested something.

Vacation didn't mean that Aihane was completely cut off from his work. He was still keeping close tabs on what was going on over in Egypt. It was all over the news as well. Plenty of pictures of the capital in ruins as well as correspondents showing their sympathy for those in government who had been murdered. The operation was still ongoing and nearly all the terrorists Aihane had contracted had been killed, but that was of little consequence. The AIDA fragments led by Fidchell had recovered the military information he needed and had delivered it back to his home computers.

_The rest of the men will be killed or captured and then interrogated. Either one matters little to me since they know nothing of any real consequence. Thanks to AIDA they were not only able to put their own plans into operation, but they advanced mine without realizing it and without learning anything about it either. I'm sure G.U. will begin to catch on soon enough, but there is little they can do to stop me now, _Aihane considered as the waitress came back with his drink. He grabbed it from her and gave her a wink. This time she didn't bother to hide her look of disgust.

_Money can't buy everything it seems, _Aihane thought with vague disappointment as he took a sip of his drink which was strong enough to knock out an elephant. Russian alcohol was the best in the world as far as he was concerned.

Aihane now had Gorre, Fidchell and Tarvos at his command. Corbenik's data was so corrupt that it was impossible to control the creature, but his promises had been enough to garner the creature's support. Promises that Aihane had no intention of ever fully delivering.

Once Aihane had planned to capture Aura and use her to control the internet. Now that Corbenik was so completely altered, though, his goals had changed. No one could truly control the internet, but you_could_ control the flow of information. If you shut off the internet in a certain area then you completely crippled the economy there and affected the stock market around the world. City infastructure completely collapsed, power went out, water lines shut off, planes couldn't fly. GPS systems in vehicles didn't work. Atrocities on an unprecidented scale could and had been committed and gone unpunished because no one was able to post information, pictures, or video about it on the internet. Once something was on the network it never went away. Anyone could find it, access it, copy it, or hide it with enough skill.

Corbenik could wipe out entire websites, servers, networks, and internet structures damaging them so throughly that they were beyond all recovery and had to be completely rebuilt. A process that took months. Aura was the one who had kept the internet together, stabilizing and allowing it to grow. Once she left it had started to decay and that decay was spreading faster now that she had left the network entirely and was hiding in the real world.

Corbenik corrupted and destroyed while Aura healed and created. The broken Epitaph was still searching for something that would make him whole in the same way that Xen had done before the twisted AIDA had fused with Corbenik. Aura had the power to heal him, but that wasn't what Aihane wanted. If the Epitaph recovered then he would be reborn in his ultimate form and likely gain the ability to destroy his slave systems and free the other captured Avatar's.

No, Aura would be the bait. So close and always just out of reach. A small taste of her soothing power would be more then enough to keep Corbenik in line. Forget Pluto's Kiss. Aura would be the drug that controlled the most deadly and corrosive virus the modern world would ever see.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Thank you for reading and thank you for making the prequel Shattered Mirror into what may be the most popular story on FF net! You all are the best and seeing your reviews always makes me feel better. So let me know what you liked, hated, or would like to see more of in the chapters to come! Until next time everyone!


	7. Fragment

Time-line Update and time progression: Southern Egypt, Saturday, August 17th through G.U. Headquarters, Japan, Sunday August 18th

Chapter 7: Fragment

* * *

><p>After the ambush two days ago Terra had gone through a thorough computer check and tune up before her team was back out on active duty. They had been ordered back to the same general area where they had been attacked before and a search of the area there had turned up shell casings and finally turned up a map. It was weather-beaten and ragged but had several red circles written on it. Each one marked a certain spot up and down the network pipeline that carried broadband internet cables in and out of the country. Terra had called back to base and they received orders to go check out the nearest one. Upon arriving they had attempted to go inside only to be stopped by Terra whose sensors picked up the presence of a bomb. Since it was putting out an active radio signal at the time she had tracked the transmission.<p>

After being cleared for long distance surveillance they had driven straight here and were supposed to stake out a spot so they could gain more intel. In fact they should have stopped ten minutes ago so they could send out a drone to do some aerial surveillance of the camp Terra was picking up ahead of them. Instead they had gone flying right past the ridge they were supposed to stop at and were still going.

"Terra what are you doing! We have orders to do surveillance _only_! We're already too close as it is. Someone is going to catch us!" Harry screamed at her as he once again tried to turn the steering wheel. He had already tried that several times and this time his seat belt snapped backwards and pulled tight enough to keep him from moving around so much.

Sighing heavily Abigail leaned forward and spoke in a more gentle tone of voice.

"Look, Terra, something is obviously up and I for one would definitely appreciate knowing what it is. We're all on the same team here, but we can't help you if you don't let us know what's going on," Abigail said as Terra continued driving. Alex snorted from the back seat and grumbled his own complaint under his breath. They had left the dirt road long ago and were now driving across the vast wilderness without even a remote village to pass by. It took five minutes of quiet driving before Terra finally spoke up in reply.

_There's an Assassin nearby,_ were the words that came up on the dashboard screen.

Short simple and it told them absolutely nothing.

"Perfect. Now we know even less than we did before. Great going computer whisperer," Harry said with a roll of his eyes. Abigail shot him a nasty look and kept trying.

"What's wrong Terra? What's an Assassin?" she asked in the same gentle tone.

_A machine whose existence is classified at the highest possible level. You are not allowed to talk about them, admit you've seen one, or even acknowledge that they exist. Any knowledge about them is immediately removed from any and all internet sources and black listed. Assassins are Artificial Life systems created by the G.U. Corporation and they inhabit mechanical bodies specifically designed for them. The same way that this Humvee body was designed for me. The difference is that an A.I. like me is designed to work directly with humans. A-Life systems do not need human interaction and work best alone, with their own kind, or with A.I.'s. They are the only sentient, self-aware systems that allowed to kill other humans if it's deemed necessary, _Terra spat out the information so quickly it was hard to keep up. She was also driving far more erratically then usual and her scanners and sensors were glitching out and wavering.

Andre leaned forward from his seat in the back.

"So basically we can't ever tell anyone about this ever, under any circumstances, or we'll be carried off and never heard from again, right?" he asked and then held his hands up. "Well hey! That suits me just fine cause once I'm outta the army I'm gonna forget I ever met any of y'all right here," he said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Alex rubbed his forehead with a groan. "Let me guess... we're heading straight for it aren't we?" he asked wearily. "I knew signing up to be with this talking car would be the death of me..." he grunted as he checked his gun.

Ignoring those comments, Abigail tried again. "We understand that this is a serious situation, Terra. I know we're heading out to trace the source of the radio signal that bomb was receiving, but I'm assuming this... _Assassin_ machine you talked about is there as well. Am I right?" she asked softly.

_Yes... I... it... we were going there already, but... then it... it..._

There was a long pause before Terra finished the sentence.

_It spoke to me. It called me. Summoned me. Ordered me to come directly to it with no stops for anything or anyone. I can't refuse a direct order from an Assassin. _The words appeared in stops and starts.

Harry frowned and exchanged a look with Abigail.

_I'm scared... _This time the words appeared in a smaller font. _I've never met one, never even seen one. This will be my first encounter with an A-Life system much less with an Assassin. It's something civilians and even standard soldiers aren't supposed to know about. Most people don't even know about me! _Terra's frame shuddered violently along with the engine.

Terra was terrified.

Abigail patted the dashboard.

"Oh, Terra I know you're scared and believe me I'm not any more relaxed about this thing then you are. I'm sure this machine is dangerous, but you both come from the same company right? So you're both on the same side. As long as you do what it asks then I'm sure we'll have no problems whatsoever. We humans will keep our mouths shut so we don't unintentionally make things worse," she said and then paused. Both Abigail and Andre gave Harry a pointed look.

The soldier rolled his eyes and made a zipping motion across his lips to show that he would try not to blow it. That thin promise was broken the second they crested the hill and saw the giant machine sitting there.

"Good lord! That monster could rip Terra to shreds!" Harry blurted out as the massive scorpion machine came into sight. It was easily twice the size of a tank if not bigger and even from here they could see that it would dwarf Terra if it were standing next to her. Terra had already been scared, but the second those words left Harry's mouth she slammed on the brakes throwing everyone forward in their seats. They had slowed down to about 30 mph but that was still fast enough to fill the air with the smell of burning rubber from the force that had just been thrown against the brakes. Terra did weigh several thousand pounds after all.

"Harry!" everyone shouted at him and the soldier grimaced and held up his hands.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he apologized as Terra flashed an angry face emoticon on the display screen at him. Jerking forward she slowly rolled forward down the hill and up to the edge of the now ruined camp. What might have been a large antenna in the center of the encampment was now snapped, broken, and had part of it lying in a twisted heap on the ground. Destroyed tanks and dead bodies littered the area along with ruined electronics. Terra hesitated as they drove past a few ruined humvee's and then stopped when they were several yards away from the scorpion machine.

It turned towards them its huge claws slowly rotating. Sentences and symbols flew past on Terra's display screen as they apparently communicated with each other. Finally the scorpion snapped its claws together loudly and backed up before gesturing to a couple of women and a boy who were cowering on the ground next to it. They looked as if they were waiting for the machine to crush them at any moment.

_The humans who were operating this camp have already been taken care of and a group of American soldiers—that would be one the teams from our base—will be coming soon to investigate and see if they can recover anything noteworthy. The antennae they were using is destroyed as well. Now we have been asked to take these hostages back to our base so they can be interrogated. This is the wife of the current Egyptian President as well as his aunt and the woman's son. Aside from explaining why they were hostages they may know something about what these people were trying to carry out. Their attack and attempt to overthrow the government and control the media networks here may have failed, but she thinks that something else is going on here and will be watching and investigating on her own, _Terra explained before unlocking the doors and opening the one on Abigail's side.

Harry nodded but then stopped when Terra's words registered in his head.

"Wait a second! That machine is a _she?_" he asked in shock. The giant scorpion turned and stared right into the humvee causing Harry to flinch and raise his hands. "I mean not that there's anything wrong with that! Not at all! I mean women are more level-headed on the battlefield anyway right?" he babbled as the machine snapped its claws and let out a hiss. Rolling her eyes Abigail checked her helmet and clutched her rifle a little tighter.

"Just shut up already would you, Harry? Andre come with me," she said hopping out of the vehicle. Andre jumped out and walked with her as they headed over to the hostages who kept looking back and forth between the bristling scorpion machine and the soldiers with their weapons. At least the women were. The boy had his eyes riveted to the massive robot.

Smiling warmly, Abigail shifted her gun to one side and gestured for them to come with her. It took some searching before her memory dusted off her knowledge of Arabic. It took a few tries before she managed to convey that they were here to help. Okay so the word 'rescue' may have been used and while the women still didn't seem entirely sure they did come pushing the boy along as well.

Andre guided them back to the humvee, but Abigail hesitated for a moment and looked up at the scorpion machine. It... or she rather, was still staring down at her impassively. Taking a deep breath to steady her shaky nerves, Abigail bowed in what she hoped would be interpreted as a respectful gesture.

"Thank you very much. Even if you weren't deliberately helping us we still are very grateful for your assistance. If there is anything we can help aid your mission then simply convey it to Terra and I'll see what I can do," Abigail said and the scorpion froze for a moment its eye flashing. Although there was no discernible expression on her face, Abigail still got the impression the machine was surprised by the overture.

It shifted slightly to look back at Terra, but Andre was helping the hostages into the humvee next to Alex. Harry, his seat belt now loosened once again, had turned around in his seat as well so nobody was watching her. By the time Abigail looked back there was a giant claw hovering in front of her head. While she had a minor heart attack from the shock it opened up and a small machine not even the size of her hand dropped down and skittered around. It was a tiny metal scorpion and within seconds it had shifted colors to match with the surrounding dirt. Shaking the dust off itself it clicked its little claws and quickly skittered over to her boot before climbing up her leg and burrowing itself up under her heavy army vest. She could feel it crawling around and fidgeting before it finally settled down.

Shocked Abigail looked up as the giant machine took a few steps back. In a cold but distinctly feminine voice it said, "Do not misunderstand my intentions. Humans like you with a natural understanding of A.I.'s and A-Life systems and the willingness to treat them with the proper respect and intelligence are in high demand. The company who created me is looking for one's such as you. Terra also has vouched for your abilities in this respect. However, if you reveal too much about me or my superiors then you _will _be dealt with swiftly is that understood?"

Abigail nodded quickly.

Satisfied the machine continued, "Should you prove successful then you will earn yourself a promotion that you'll find hard to turn down. However, your actions from here on will decide that. Understand?" she added and again Abigail nodded and swallowed hard. She didn't understand what exactly was going on here, but wasn't about to ask questions. "Do not trust the Egyptian government. Their attempts to suppress these insurgents is not what it seems. The chance that your American superiors are also being manipulated without their knowledge is at least 97 percent. You will take that micro drone and use it to gather information about the operations that went on in the city while you were out here. Information sifting is not up to you so do not overlook or exclude someone because of personal feelings or experience. Everything you can find from whoever you can find it from is expected. When the time is right you will be contacted once again," the scorpion machine carefully explained to her.

Abigail felt her throat go dry and the small weight of the micro machine inside of her vest suddenly seemed much heavier. She didn't know why she'd been chosen for this, but it was clear that she would not be allowed to back out and would not be allowed to make a serious mistake either.

_Now I see I can start to understand why these things are known as Assassins, _she thought with a cold stab of fear as the giant machine turned around and dug into the ground throwing dirt and sand everywhere. When the wind had blown the dust away there was nothing left but a ragged circle of disturbed earth where the Assassin had just been standing.

* * *

><p>Niketas was trying to work when Ren bounded into his office with a huge grin on her face. She skipped up to his desk and slapped a thick file down on the table with obvious satisfaction. Kisho wandered in after her a couple of seconds later and frowned at his twin sister, but she was off talking before he could get a word in.<p>

"You love me and will buy me a Maine lobster and Kobe steak dinner tonight," Ren said happily bouncing on her heels. Looking up Niketas tilted his trademark sunglasses down and stared at her for a moment as Kisho walked up and casually ran a hand through his hair which now sported orange highlights. Instead of coming off as relaxed though, Kisho seemed excited and his fingers kept tapping against his leg impatiently.

"I'd ask if you'd lost your mind, but that seems a rather pointless question to ask of a schizophrenic hacker," Niketas said calmly as he pushed his sunglasses back up on his face.

Sticking her tongue out at him childishly Ren said, "We..." she paused and threw her arm around Kisho's shoulders, "...have found Aihane," she added with a dramatic flair.

For a long moment Niketas just sat and stared at her. Sighing heavily he rubbed his forehead and wished once again that he had some sleeping pills to take. He'd been running on three hours of sleep a night for the past week and had no energy for one of Ren's wild rants. Medicated or not. Besides he had been up all last night talking to Rhodesia about the new prophecy Fidchell had left Magus with during their battle the other day. He was exhausted and his brain needed some time off. Instead he grabbed his coffee and finished off the rest of it. It seemed that he would be needing all the extra caffeine he could get.

"Is that so? Are you sure you haven't gone off your medication again?" Niketas asked without the slightest trace of excitement.

Ren's face dropped into a scowl at that question. "I'm getting my warehouse stockpile of med's refilled this afternoon so don't worry, _dad_, I'm taking them religiously," she snapped back sarcastically before waving her hand. "The _point _is that Kisho and I believe that we have located a man who is likely to be the hacker otherwise known to us only by the name Aihane," Ren added getting excited once again as she explained why they were here in the first place. "Care to explain the rest my dear Kisho?" she asked gesturing for him to go ahead.

Kisho nodded and flipped open the folder. Grabbing the first page he spun it around and tapped the picture attached to it with a paperclip. It was a white male with thick black hair salted with gray as well as a thick mustache. He had very sharp features. Niketas frowned slightly and pulled the picture out so he could look at it more closely.

"This man... this man looks awfully familiar to me. Is he Russian?" Niketas asked glancing up at them. Ren shook her head at that.

"Nope, his grandparents were from Serbia and moved to Klina just after the First Balkan War when Kosovo was incorporated into the Kingdom of Serbia. His parents were both born in 1922 and gave birth to him in 1958 meaning he would be about... 60 yrs old by now," Ren added as Niketas picked up a few sheets of paper from the file and looked through them.

"How did you find all this information on him?" he asked looking up at the twins.

"Public library had census and tax records available online for people to look at. Took time and patience since we had to ask some AI's to help us translate everything. We also had the help of a few search programs we created. Finding out where he was born and who his parents were took up most of our time. After that it took about two weeks of constant work between assignments to compile all the information in this chart. We didn't want to jump to conclusions without firm evidence that this was our man," Kisho offered as Ren continued the explanation.

"His name is officially listed on the birth certificate as Borislav Cedomir. The first name means something like 'fame in battle' while the second is a combination of child and peace or world," Ren paused for a moment before adding. "We're guessing his parents had rather high expectations for him." She rolled her eyes and used her right foot to grab a chair and pull it over. Taking a seat she leaned forward with her arms crossed on the table and continued. "Or maybe they were inspired by the Balkan War or something. Anyway, Borislav moved to Germany temporarily to attend college and quickly became involved in computer development and computer engineering. After graduating with a Master's degree he worked as a freelance inventor and programmer," she added as Niketas looked through more papers in the file.

Meanwhile, Kisho grumbled something under his breath about his sister being so impulsive and pulled up a chair of her own. "He's world-famous among those interested in technology. Borislav helped major computer and electronics companies to develop better ways to send and receive information. He also did side jobs for various government agencies helping them to develop better security systems that would be better protected against tampering. This was before the internet boom, but he later helped companies protect against cyber hackers as well," Kisho said as Niketas nodded slowly.

"That's right. I remember him now. He was at an internet and computer technology convention in St. Petersburg, Russia about five years ago. Borislav Cedomir was invited as a special guest speaker to explain the new technology he had developed and instituted for transmitting information from earth to satellites up in space. Many satellites use radio signals from transmission systems here on earth to communicate and send information. This makes them painfully susceptible to jamming. GPS systems, satellite phones, and TV signals have all been tampered with before. It's a lot easier to interfere with one than most people think..." Niketas paused for a moment in thought before nodding again.

"Yes, at that convention Borislav was talking about how he was helping various first world governments and private companies to convert to a laser encoded system. In 2016 NASA began using such a system to send and even stream high-definition video from Mars back to earth in just minutes instead of taking over an hour like it used to. Lasers are easier to focus, they aren't susceptible to jamming, and they can carry much and decode larger volumes of information depending on the wavelength used. We can see this example when you compare regular DVD's to standard Blu-ray DVD's used now," Niketas stopped and shook his head in disgust.

"But with a system that can carry such large amounts of information at once it would be simple for an AIDA fragment to slip in and hijack a satellite. To make things worse all major governments and even some smaller nations use the system Borislav first invented. He began instituting it many years before explaining it at that convention. The new system is better, but nothing is fool-proof," Niketas said tossing the papers down in front of him.

Kisho agreed and reached forward to pull out some pictures. "That's not all, but I think we should gather the Epitaph Users and update them on all of this before saying any more. The Epitaph's themselves will be especially interested in what comes up next..." he trailed off as Niketas sucked in a breath and turned white.

In his hand was a picture. A picture of Borislav Cedomir standing together and shaking with Harald Hoerwick the man who had created Morganna, Aura, the black box, and basis for The World.

* * *

><p>It took longer to get everybody together then expected since Rhodesia and Kaoru were in a different time zone and Tomonari was still in the medical ward resting up. All three of them had to be hooked in via webcam on a secure encrypted line. Ryou and Chigusa had actually been on a date; they had gone to a local art festival nearby and then were going out to eat. Although clearly ready to get on with the meeting even Niketas wasn't cold-hearted enough to call them back early. They had both been working hard lately and hadn't had much of a chance to spend time together.<p>

Now that they were back, however, both Ryou and Chigusa looked ready to start. They hadn't been told anything about what was going on. Even Skeith and Innis were in the dark. Reiko had been busy in her room studying some recent news reports that Iori, the form User of Gorre, had sent into them. He said that one of them had a first-hand account from someone who had seen a "wild A.I." that could have been Tarvos. So as a result the woman had been in an even fouler mood then usual and was sitting off by herself at the table.

Ren and Kisho were sitting right across from Ryou and Chigusa. Ren was sitting in front of a screen and was busy showing Rhodesia her new hairdo and updating her on all the juicy G.U. Headquarters gossip that she could come up with. Kisho was actually working and would occasionally scowl at his twin sister for wasting time. Magus and Macha had both arrived and would be listening in as well, but not before Magus had set up a barrier around all the systems and lines leading in and out of the room. Any exchange of information that happened in this room would stay in this room.

Niketas clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Now that we're all here I'd like to summarize the reason for this gathering," he stated and then started by giving a short summary of what Ren and Kisho had told him earlier. "Borislav Cedomir is an extremely talented man. He is a mathematical and computer engineering genius as well as a top-notch inventor. He is the type of man who comes along once in a lifetime and he has vastly changed the way we share, look at, send, and create information. Not to mention his work in the field of robotic programming," Niketas said tapping the table. It was a giant computer screen was directly tied into the G.U. database and the larger internet.

Reiko nodded slowly, "I remember him. It's safe to say that men like him are the reason Chigusa can create the machines she does and why such advanced A.I.'s exist. In fact he's considered the 'father' of the modern A.I. System that we're familiar with and he pioneered the idea of Artificial Life systems which he considered a necessary step to achieving 'true computer and machine intelligence,'" she offered and Chigusa pursed her lips at that in thought.

Ryou held up his hand to interrupt. "Are we sure that his guy is really Aihane? I mean with a résumé like that it would make sense, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions either should we?" he asked getting right to the point.

Kisho nodded and tapped a few instructions on the screen. Several copies of the same picture floated out in front of each person. It was the same picture of Harald Hoerwick and Borislav that they'd showed Niketas earlier. Of course this was the first time everyone else was seeing it.

"We are pretty sure, but that's primarily because we don't have any other hits or tips to go on. However, Borislav Cedomir would make the most sense and he's more than capable of the hacking that we've seen from Aihane thus far. This picture here was taken years ago when the first tests of Fragment were successfully completed and the game began to move into the last stages. We're not entirely sure what that means though. Fragment which as we all know could be considered the very earliest version of the world, but CC Corp claims that Harald worked on it by himself and turned it in to them for almost nothing. That's what most media outlets report as well, but then again we know how 'truthful' CC Corp has proven to be as well. They've lied on countless occasions so lying about Harald Hoerwick wouldn't surprise me either," Kisho explained as everyone looked at the picture. Calling up a few more pictures he sent copies of them out to everyone else as well. They were more pictures of Harald and Borislav together at different events.

"In all there are actually only about ten pictures of the two of them together. Even today Borislav is notoriously private and rarely does interviews. He's quoted as saying that 'time spent at interviews and press conferences could be better spent furthering the field of science and engineering' and that 'rather then listening to some talking heads on the net children and teenagers need to get out and start doing hands on work with machines,'" Kisho added and Ren bobbed her head in agreement.

"Back to the point though. At the time that Harald would have worked on Fragment, Borislav _did_ go on record as saying that he was helping and advising his friend on a very personal project and had no interest in discussing it further. He was also part of the team that created Altimit OS," Kisho added tossing more information and reports at the others.

This time Tomonari spoke up.

"So Borislav helped program and create Altimit OS. We don't know how they met, but we do know that he was close friends with Harald which isn't really surprising since both of them were genius programmers. It's possible that Borislav helped out or just provided programming advice to Harald while he was working on Fragment and then went back to whatever he was doing after it was finished and handed over to CC Corp. Do I have that right so far?" he asked and Niketas nodded.

"Correct. Borislav himself helped design several different video games after The World came out. All of them were multiplayer puzzle games focusing on logic, strategy, and mechanics. All of them were huge hits. So while Borislav may or may not have had hands on experience with Fragment... he does have intimate knowledge of how it works. Borislav likely helped give Harald ideas for how to program the Black Box system that CC Corp never managed to analyze. We can't forget that Fragment was just a coverup. It was a way to get the Black Box, Morganna, and Aura into the larger internet Aura could be born and develop. The system that we still cannot decode or penetrate to this day," Niketas said looking over at the computer screen that showed Rhodesia and Kaoru.

Rhodesia leaned forward to speak. "Known for a long time have we that Aihane has ability to hack into the Epitaph's code and control them, but never once did we ask the most important question. How? How manage did he something no one else has ever done? When we look at the background and experience of this Borislav Cedomir man it all makes sense," she said and Kaoru nodded in agreement.

"Rhodesia is right. There is a very large probability that this is our man right here. We also have to discuss why he hasn't been able to capture the remaining Epitaph's. All of them were infected with his Slave Systems after all, but none of them have ever activated. Thankfully we already know the answer to that one," Kaoru paused for a second before saying, "Macha why don't you explain it to them?" Macha popped up on the table screen as she started her explanation.

"The reason Aihane has not been able to control us the way he has with Fidchell, Gorre, Tarvos, and Corbenik is fairly simple. When he first infected us with his slave systems we were all still A.I. Systems," she waved her hand and a complex stream of numbers, symbols, and commands began scrolling by beside her. "This is an example of what an A.I's code looks like. It's very complex, but still like the computer code of any other system which means that it has limits to what it can do and what it can achieve. A.I's can do amazing things, but they still have their preset limitations due to the nature of how they're created. That means any A.I. can be hacked." Now she pulled up another screen but this time it had a twisting square with crisscrossing rungs that upon closer inspection had different symbols and code running across it.

"This is what an Artificial Life or A-Life systems looks like. The way it's fashioned is actually more like DNA then it is to computer code. And while there are ways to influence humans you can't 'hack' or change their DNA to force them to do what you want. So basically an A.I. system's very nature means that it can be hacked like any other network system although it is more of a challenge. A-Life systems cannot be hacked," Macha summed up and waved both images beside her away.

Now she brought up another screen showing the same twisting square of code next to a double helix, but it was black and lines of code and random symbols occasionally drifted or peeled away from it.

"When Skeith, Innis, Magus, and myself all combined with our AIDA counterparts during the destruction of The World: R2 we not only took back the data that they had originally stolen from us, but the very essence of each AIDA was absorbed into our bodies as well. _That_ incorporation of foreign data is what made us change into A-Life systems. AIDA was not created. It came about due to the absence of Aura and began to develop on its own throughout the internet. Similarly today, once Chigusa creates a new A-Life system it's not programmed, but instead is allowed to grow and develop to maturity on its own," Macha continued waving the image away.

"If we had merely taken our own data back from those AIDA then we would have achieved our final forms, but remained A.I.'s. Instead we willingly absorbed their entire being which allowed us to evolve far beyond anything Harald Hoerwick had ever originally planned for when he created Aura," Macha said and held up a claw before anyone could interrupt. "However, I have the feeling that this process is being hindered somehow in the other Epitaphs. It would seem that they too absorbed their AIDA counterparts, but it's possible that Aihane's Slave System is preventing their complete fusion because of its being so deeply entrenched in their A.I. code. If so then that would explain how the others can be in their final forms and yet still remain in his control. It's also possible they their bodies have not yet fully absorbed their AIDA counterparts because the process was forced upon them by Aihane instead of being allowed to happen on its own," she finished and then motioned for someone else to continue.

Reiko gasped, "Wait so could Aura be controlled as well?"

Ryou shook his head. "Just because something is possible that doesn't mean its going to happen. Aura has been referred to as a Goddess before and I think that's an apt description. The fact that she couldn't do much to help us against the fight with Cubia shows that she has limits, but that doesn't mean she's just going to roll over. We can't forget that once Aura disappeared the entire internet began to suffer. Her data may be too complex to hack. I mean could it happen? Sure. But how long would it take? Months? No years or decades of constant work? Who knows. Aura basically _is_ the internet at this point. Why do you think CC Corp was so desperate to get her back? I mean even I got caught up and read about the Restore Aura plan and I didn't even work there like you did," he said with a snort and Reiko glared at him.

Chigusa spoke up before the two could fight though.

"I think what we need to worry about is Aihane using one of the other Epitaph's against her. He may not have the time needed to decode, hack into, and control Aura, but that doesn't mean he couldn't just force her to do whatever he wanted. He still has Corbenik after all and we've already seen a small glimpse of what that... that _monster_ is capable of. Macha could have been seriously hurt," Chigusa said looking the most worried out of all of them. "Or he could threaten to hurt one of the other Epitaphs. I'm sure Aura would never want to see them get hurt," she added looking around.

Kisho rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I agree with my younger sister. Aura being forced into submission through other means is a much more plausible idea. Once that was achieved Aihane could bring her back to the internet at large where her powers could do massive damage. Or he might have something else planned. Something we don't yet know about."

For several long moments there was complete silence as everyone absorbed this information. For every question they answered a bunch more popped up.

Finally Innis spoke up, "Whatever we do we must hurry. I have a feeling that whatever Aihane is planning... he plans to do very, very soon."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> So how was that for a chapter? Are your brains hurting yet? I'm sure plenty of you have questions or even some constructive criticism. Trust me there is a lot more to the back story of Aihane so just be patient and you will find out more about him!

Were any of you surprised to find out Aihane's real name and identity? Was he older than you expected?

The "action" in this chapter was more mental than anything, but I promise you will not be lacking for action soon enough!

I'm also working out a new schedule system so if all goes according to plan then there should be a new chapter up in exactly 3 weeks! I'm going to buckle down and get more serious about getting my fan fiction posted in a more timely manner. Thank you so much for the support everyone!


	8. Torture Device

Time-line Update and time progression: G.U. Headquarters, Sunday August 18th; United States, Friday August 23rd

**AN:** Ha! Ha ha! And again I say HA! Three weeks just as I said I would! Give or take a day that is. I had actually scheduled an update for tomorrow night, but since I'm home sick with plenty of time on my hands I thought I'd be nice and get it out day early. So to all of you who thought I couldn't do it... you are perfectly justified in thinking that way. LOL

Seriously though considering my lackluster updating skills I don't blame any doubt on your part, but from now on I'm going to try to update this story every three weeks. This time it went pretty well actually. I'm quite proud of myself for pulling it off. Of course reviews always provide a little extra motivation... I mean, just saying.

Thanks for reading. I love all of you!

Chapter 8: Torture Device

* * *

><p>"Wait a second... if Aihane can only enslave A.I.'s then how is it that he has AIDA fragments working for him? Aren't they considered Artificial Life systems? I mean most of them are pretty basic ones compared to the Epitaphs or even the ones Innis and Magus have created, but still. He shouldn't be able to enslave them should he?" Reiko asked suddenly as her face pulled into a frown. It was a valid point and one that Chigusa was ready for. Her work with Innis and Magus meant that she was one of the most experienced when it came to this subject.<p>

"Actually the method Aihane is using on his AIDA fragments isn't the same one he's using on the Epitaphs," Chigusa clarified for everyone. "From a glance there's really no way to tell the difference and it's easy to make assumptions, but once they're examined the difference is obvious," she added which only deepened the frown on Reiko's face. Before the woman could make any objections though, Chigusa continued with, "The remaining Epitaph's here have already been examined and all traces of Aihane's slave systems were removed from them. Most of what we have on that front is speculation as we just finished discussing. What we did learn about AIDA came when Macha captured an AIDA fragment weeks ago," Chigusa said and everyone glanced over at Niketas who sat there calmly. Evidently he was in on this as well.

"_Weeks _ago? _That's_ what you're doing up in your room while I'm away?" Ryou asked as his eyebrows shot straight up. Blushing Chigusa fumbled around for her words before looking down at the table where Macha was still there observing. Taking over Macha continued the explanation for her.

"Well I had to do _something_ while Kaoru and Rhodesia were working and travelling didn't I?" Macha said with a smirk. "But the point is that I was able to capture an AIDA fragment that had been following us and in my spare time I returned back here to help examine it along with Innis and Magus. When we did look at its code we found a completely different system attached to it. Whereas the one's removed from the remaining Epitaph's such as myself is intended to enslave and control, the one used on that AIDA can only be used as a torture device," Macha explained to everyone. "I think the human phrase 'united we stand, divided we fall' applies rather well to AIDA, especially now. AIDA was originally born as a single united organism which is why the aggression Tri-Edge showed towards humans spread to the all of the other AIDA despite the fact that they had originally been very peaceful towards people. There is no chance that type of group behavior would ever be displayed now since AIDA has been broken into separate beings, but this does have a trade off..." Macha looked over at Ryou who immediately pursed his lips.

"AIDA is fragmented now which means they can operate and think independently of one another. They have distinct personalities, but they're also weaker than they were before. Much weaker. Before they could at least put up a decent fight against the Epitaphs but now just a few hits tears them to pieces. Destroying Tri-Edge must have damaged all of their code," Ryou commented as stroked his chin thoughtfully. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them he said, "Skeith tells me that any damage done to an AIDA fragment cannot be repaired. Is that what you found too?" he looked at Chigusa when he said this.

Nodding Chigusa looked down at the table. "Magus tried to save it, but the AIDA fragment just... broke down. It's code started to dissolve and unravel just like The World did when Aihane launched that final attack against it," she didn't look very happy at the outcome. "Innis finally... dispatched it before it could suffer any more. While it was alive however, we learned much. The Epitaphs do experience pain, but not in the same way we do because their tolerance for it is extremely high. They're more likely to respond to the pain of their User then to acknowledge any damage on their own part no matter how severe it might be. AIDA are different. As the first naturally born A-Life systems they're more sensitive. Any damage to their code would be extremely painful and not only that, but if any damage done is permanent then..." she paused as Reiko blanched and cut in.

"Then disobeying Aihane could not only cause damage to their code, but it would be in constant pain and that pain would increase with each disobedient act they made," Reiko said softly and Tomonari whistled.

"Now that sucks. I mean... I'm still not exactly sure how I feel about AIDA but knowing that some of them are being tortured does make me feel sorry for them. Well those that are being forced into working with Aihane that is. There are some that are working with Aihane willingly aren't there?" he asked shifting in his hospital bed. He leaned offscreen for a second and returned with a a jug of water. "But that's a subject for another time. So what do we do? I mean Aihane is using them to wreck havoc on countries and governments _everywhere. _Is there any way to tell the difference between one that's good and one that's enslaved? They don't show obvious signs of it like the captured Epitaphs do," he added after taking a sip. Magus popped up on the table screen next to Macha and gave them a thumbs up.

"Already on it! After using Data Drain on the device I was able to fully deconstruct it. I could reverse engineer it if I wanted to, but I'd rather not. Instead this knowledge does allow Innis and I to work on a new program. One that will allow us to detect whether or not an AIDA fragment has been infected with this torture device. It's not done yet, but if I can steal Kisho and Ren away from their duties for a few hours then I know that I can have it done in the next 48 hours. Once we all upload the program we'll automatically know from now on if AIDA has been infected," Magus concluded and gave Niketas and then Rhodesia an earnest look.

"So what do you say? I'm better at the actual hands on work, but Kisho and Ren have been at this much longer then I have so their perspective and experience will be invaluable. We can't afford for this not to work right the first time," Magus added. Niketas waved his hand.

"Whatever. Just have them back as soon as possible," he said reluctantly.

"I also believe that I can upgrade the program so that it will protect the other A-Life systems we've created from being infected by Aihane as well. We don't need it because our pain tolerance is higher than theirs, but it could prove invaluable for them. I also want to use the information I got from the slave systems unsuccessfully Aihane tried to infect the remaining Epitaph's with to create another program. This one will serve as a security system for A.I.'s. Not just the one's I've created with Innis, but for all those that now exist. I'll need Skeith's help for that one though," Magus added and Niketas frowned and then waved in hand in consent.

Reiko had been deep in thought but now looked up and said, "If that's it for today then I want to get back to Iori. I think having him look up any news reports, or blog postings about A.I's malfunctioning or operating strangely could come in handy. Anything he turns up could help us gauge whether Aihane has already started trying to infect A.I.'s with his slave system or his torture device," she added and Rhodesia nodded.

"Get on it. Report back as soon as find anything you do, but don't let Iori know too much. Already too involved he is," Rhodesia said in warning. Reiko twitched slightly at the admonition but didn't object.

Niketas pushed back from the table and dismissed everyone saying, "That's all for now. Kisho and Ren you stay here and talk with Magus about what he needs you to do. Ryou and Chigusa I need you to look at the footage Magus captured during his battle with Fidchell and look at the data from Macha's battle with Corbenik to see if you can find anything else. Everyone's dismissed for now."

* * *

><p>"Looks like things have changed. The situation in Egypt has taken a turn for the better and your training schedule has been changed and may be shortened depending on how well you do. The other RAPTORS will be sent out to different high profile air force, army, navy, and military bases to help guard the premises," Cyrus Corner stated with the same arrogant tone of voice he showed to everyone.<p>

Syrakis cocked his head slightly in what was meant to be a gesture of surprise.

He was not surprised in the least.

_The first stage of the plan is almost complete. Phase two will begin when we are separated and assigned to our new outposts, _Syrakis thought as he bobbed his head in acknowledgement. He still didn't trust this human and the dragonfly drone he'd sent out had already brought back plenty of information to help confirm that initial suspicion.

"Thank youuu. Hopefully the troopsss can begin the return home with few casuuualties," Syrakis said calmly. Cyrus Corner's face twisted into a look of displeasure. Apparently that wasn't the reaction he was expecting.

"That's it? I'd think a... machine like you would want to get out into the field as soon as possible. Get your... claws dirty so to speak," Corner said as he eyed the massive claws hanging in front of his face.

Leaning down to his eye level Syrakis replied, "Only a huuman would be thrilled by sssuch a prospectttt and a twisssted one at that. Warrrr is not a game and it is cccertainly not fffun. The idea of ending another life whether human or machine is not something one should ever take pleasure in. All posssible alternatives should be purssssued firssst," he paused for a moment. He knew that everything he and the other RAPTORS said and did was being reported back to some other part of the United States government. Cocking his head slightly he decided to give them something to talk about when Corner reported back. "Perhapppsss you can enlighttten me on humannn behavior. Do _you_ take pleasurrre in waarrr?" Corner's eye flashed with obvious anger and he pursed his lips as his face colored.

"War is an unfortunate part of life. That is all," he stated snapping the folder in his hands open again.

_Just like the videos of those politicians I watched before awakening in my new body. They spend five minutes talking and never answer the question you asked them, _Syrakis as he watched his team of raptors on the field below them. They were tasked with finding something that had been buried several days ago and then using it as a clue to find out where the second item was hidden. Syrakis had been trained in this already, but that was on the network with just Lady Chigusa and Master Innis. Applying those skills to the real world had proven to be quite different but very fascinating. Rather then getting irritated at what could come across as a mundane task he was instead rather satisfied with the chance to see how his training matched up with real world situations. Every task allowed him to compensate for the differences, input new information into his memory, and calculate the difference between what he knew and how it worked here offline.

The US government thought the RAPTOR machines were here to help their troops in the field. The truth was that Syrakis had been sent in as a spy. Humans would never suspect anything as large as him to be a spy which gave him a distinct advantage. First phase of the mission was for the situation in Egypt to be wrapped up and that had happened perfectly on schedule. The second phase was for an anonymous recommendation to be made that the RAPTORS provide extra security to the Governments most top secret and high security military and research bases. The recommendation was that their skills be used to keep any and all unauthorized persons well out of the designated area. So while Syrakis was doing that he had plenty of other smaller machines hidden within him that could be deployed just like the dragonfly had been. They would scour the base for any incriminating information stored on the computers, in paper files, and monitor any secret projects that had not been disclosed elsewhere, and would monitor conversations as well.

Syrakis had been built with just this purpose in mind. Lady Chigusa had partially modeled him after AIDA. Instead of being a single unit, Syrakis had been split across several machines. Separate personalities or identities all controlled by one main machine was another way to put it. Therefore while each RAPTOR was perfectly capable of operating on its own, they all shared information and all communicated with each other at the same time. Right now Syrakis' neural network, or his brain, was perfectly in tune with all the other machines down on the field. He saw what they saw, knew all of their thoughts, feelings, suspicions, and every piece of information they learned from the test they were now part of was automatically synced to his memory database as well.

It was not a job for the faint of heart though. While Noia traveled the world hunting down international criminals it would be Syrakis' responsibility to gather information on and then apprehend high-profile government and military workers who could be a threat either to their own nation, were confirmed to be allying themselves with Aihane, or were committing a serious crime of some other sort. Noia was tasked with bringing in his targets dead or alive depending on the severity of their crimes. Death Reaper was solely dispatched as an executioner and destroyer. There was another Assassin who had a similar responsibility but it was still in training and its mechanical body was not yet operational. Syrakis however had what might be the most difficult job of all. First he had to gather sufficient evidence to prove that his target had or was in the process of committing a crime, but then he had to apprehend them and made sure they were handed over to the proper authorities before they could disappear or flee the country.

_This is going to be quite a challenge, but one that I will derive great satisfaction from, _Syrakis thought as he stood back up to his full height and glanced down at Corner who was still standing beside him but now observing the other RAPTORS down on the field before them.

Crawling up the human's shoulder was a miniature spider no bigger then a human fingernail. Thousands of them had been dispersed all over this base. Rather then storing data themselves, they instead bounced anything they found directly back to the closest RAPTOR machine who then analyzed it. They were so tiny that most people would never notice them and if they did then most humans would dismiss them as insects. Each RAPTOR could disperse several thousand of the little nano machines and recall them as necessary. Meanwhile they could continue training and no one would suspect a thing as long as they were careful.

_Let the games begin,_ Syrakis thought as he tapped his claws together.

* * *

><p>Shino took a deep breath as they pulled up to the lookout and stopped. Right now they were overlooking the water and an aircraft carrier could be seen in the distance. Rhodesia had called them yesterday and explained the new plans to them. Skeith would be hacking the network used at the local Navy base and would use his infiltration as a cover so that they could get onto the <em>Kyodaina Nami<em> with as few people noticing them as possible. Any Naval officers would be busy trying to figure out who was hacking them and trying to stop the automated machines that Skeith planned to commandeer later tonight as a distraction.

Turning around Shino slid open the truck window and looked under the cover stretched across the back. She had to push past the dogs who were up and wondering where they were at now.

"You okay back there Aura? We reached the coast-line and the timeline Rhodesia gave us says that we should be ready to go by midnight," she said in a low voice. Mechanical clicking and scraping sounded as Aura lifted the head of her temporary body.

"Perfect. We cannot wait any longer. All of the other A.I. controlled vehicles and machines will be coming with us as well. I believe Rhodesia said that several large barges will aid us in this transfer didn't she? Then once you are on the ship you should have plenty of food and enough supplies to keep you going for several weeks at least. This has to happen as quickly as possible though. At best you will have thirty minutes to get on the barges and get to the ship. Skeith can keep up his assault on their system for as long as he needs to, but if we take too long we risk drawing attention to G.U." Aura explained to them.

Chewing on her bottom lip Shino nodded and let out a shaky breath. "I understand. We'll make sure we're ready to go," she responded before putting the tarp back down. Crawling back she shut the window and patted all the dogs to reassure them before turning all the way around and sinking back down into her seat. Masato was sitting next to her staring out at the ocean. You could see the air craft carrier _Kyodaina Nami _sitting there out in the distance. The A.I.'s that controlled flying machines would make their way over to the carrier later tonight at the same time as Shino and Masato. The larger machines and tanks would be transferred several days later. It would take more work and planning to get them off mainland Japan without anyone noticing.

Finally Masato looked over at her, "There's a town nearby but we shouldn't go there unless we really need something. We don't need anyone remembering us just in case there's an investigation later on. I especially don't need anyone remembering me. I was a wanted cyber criminal last year after all. Or should I say Ovan was," he said with a slight smile. Shino nodded and continued playing with the hem of her blouse. She'd never done anything like this before. She was supposed to be in college right now studying, not running around the world dodging governments and hatching conspiracies. Masato noticed her nervousness and took her hand in his.

"Don't worry. We'll make it through this just fine," he said reassuringly. Shino forced a smile to her lips but it quickly faltered. She had a really bad feeling about this.

* * *

><p>Aaliyah chewed on the end of a pen as she thought. Something about this Syrian oil deal just wasn't adding up. Those chauvinistic pin heads may be gone now, but what they said was still lingering in her mind. They wanted to use the oil Karim controlled to fuel the civil war that was raging across the country yet again. However, anyone who knew her husband knew that he was extremely cautious about who he sold his oil or oil derivatives to. Anyone even remotely connected to the military or to other groups that engaged in or supported war were refused.<p>

Closing her eyes, Aaliyah frowned slightly as she considered the matter._ So what could they be after? These chauvinistic idiots may be telling the truth, but they aren't the ones calling the shots. There is at least one person who sent them here to try and close this deal with my husband. What do they want? The only other deal we concluded recently was with..._ her eyes snapped open at the realization.

The only other deal they had concluded lately was with G.U.

The oil from Karim's field was high grade and perfect for military purposes when processed, but he refused to sell it to anyone who promoted war. However, after much thought, meditation, and many prayers to Allah he had finally relented on one point and concluded a deal with G.U. The oil was processed in Oman and then shipped off to several top secret robotics factories scattered around the world. It was then used to help grease the machines that built the various other robotic devices G.U. came up with. Lately machines had been coming out at an astounding rate and were shifting the face of technology everywhere. Before sealing the deal, however, Karim had made them explain all of their different machines to him and their design, whether civil, commercial, or for private military purposes. It had taken a long time, but G.U. swore that their purpose was to promote freedom of the internet and to protect those A.I.'s and new A-Life systems who lived in it. They wanted to promote better relations between humans and machines and help bring down those criminals who were abusing their power or using A.I.'s against their will. They had also brought up one specific criminal, but Aaliyah hadn't been there during that discussion. That kind of thing was best left in her husband's capable hands.

Karim was still ready to reject them but they had invited him to tour one of their robotics facilities and to meet one of their newest machines. Something they would only describe as an Assassin. It was a name that had bothered her husband very much. He had been gone for two weeks and when he got back he refused to divulge too much information. Karim did say that he had met and spoken to one of these Assassin machines and listened to its thoughts on war, violence, freedom, apprehending criminals, and what G.U. was doing. He said that after talking to that "amazing creature" he felt compelled to help G.U. achieve their goal.

_Could that be it? G.U. Seems to have made itself a lot of friends among almost everyone in the fields of technology, science, and computers, but they also seem to have plenty of enemies after them as well. Is someone else manipulating these men? Using the goals of these men to further their own designs? _Aaliyah glanced over to where Karim was currently helping their daughter with her math homework. It did make sense and would certainly explain the all too convenient virus that had invaded their home computer system. Someone could be looking for a trail that would lead them straight to G.U. and their main headquarters or robotics facilities.

_We don't keep any records of our transactions with G.U. here at home, but I still have to let Karim know about this as soon as I can. We can't afford to take any chances,_ Aaliyah considered as she finally put the pen down and walked over to see how her husband and daughter were doing.

* * *

><p>Fidchell watched in sick horror as Gorre tore the network interface around them to shreds. Security A.I.'s had been assigned here, but they were no match for the Epitaph's and they knew it the second they'd laid eyes on them. All he could do was offer an apology as he used his fan to slice them to pieces. Now the rest of the dirty work was being done by Gorre who went around planting data bombs, purge devices, and worms all throughout the network. If Aihane just wanted to destroy everything wholesale he would have sent Corbenik here to swallow all the data like he'd done before during his fight with Macha. Doing that would have left no traces either.<p>

No, this was meant to send a message to anyone and everyone who experienced the fallout. This electrical grid controlled a huge portion of eastern South Africa and once it was down not only would everything in that city shut down, but it would spread a lot farther then that. After this they would knock out the water grid, and cell phone towers. Aihane wanted them completely cut off from the rest of the world and he wanted everyone to know who had done it. There would be no hiding, no dodging security recorders this time.

_G.U. has waited and bided its time so that it can introduce the world at large to the Epitaphs and A-Life systems gradually. They want to increase the chances of them being welcomed and accepted into society the way A.I's are just now being accepted into different aspects of civilian life. Now Aihane is going to ruin that plan. He wants us branded as dangerous monsters. He want's people to blame us and hate us. But why? Isn't he trying to capture Aura? This doesn't make any sense... _Fidchell frowned as he watched the data space around him finally begin to collapse.

Time to go.

Gorre finished their work and ripped open a data tear. Slipping through it they left as explosions of data warped the area. None of thiswas adding up. What was Aihane's ultimate goal? Sure he wanted to capture Aura, but what after that? Did he really just want to control the world? Surely it couldn't be something as basic as that. He was going to plunge and entire city into darkness, cut off their water, communication, transportation, and incite what could be unparalleled amounts of violence.

But _why?_ What did Aihane have to gain by doing this?

Fidchell looked away in disgust and left the area. Now they would be splitting up. He would take out the cell phone towers and land lines, while Gorre cut off the water supply. Was this just to draw out G.U. from hiding? To mess up their plans somehow? Whatever this was meant to do there was one thing Fidchell knew for sure.

Things were never going to be the same again after this.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>As I type this out right now there's a CNN piece running on the TV next to me about hackers attacking U.S. infrastructure and possibly attacking the power grid and shutting it off, which would cause serious problems. They also brought up how major companies are worried about their trade secrets being compromised due to repeated cyber attacks.

Bet my ideas don't sound so farfetched now, do they? Hopefully that doesn't happen here in the U.S. or in ANY country for that matter as shutting down the power grid either nation wide or in large areas would cause serious problems. Especially for hospitals and those others who depend on electrical devices for their health.

Meanwhile, it does make for a good story doesn't it? So what is Aihane after anyway? What is he trying to do? So far it remains a mystery, but believe me the fallout of this newest attack is going to have some very serious fallout.

Thanks for reading everybody! Let's see if I can get another chapter out in three weeks shall we?


	9. Framed

Time-line Update and time progression: Northern Japan Friday August 23rd, G.U. Headquarters & Northern Japan, Tuesday August 27th

Chapter 9: Framed

* * *

><p>Ryou ungracefully fell out of his bed when Skeith's voice suddenly bellowed in his head. He'd startled his cat Shira and banged his head on the bed stand on his way down as well. Clutching his head, Ryou groaned and pulled himself back up as he looked around to try and find a clock.<p>

"What time is it?" Ryou asked and the answer immediately popped into his head thanks to Skeith.

2:30AM. In other words it was far to early to be doing anything but sleeping.

_There's serious trouble going on in South Africa and it looks like the trouble is spreading. Rhodesia and Kaoru have been recalled and are flying back to Japan now, _Skeith said as Ryou grabbed some clothes out of the closet and quickly got dressed. Shira had given him a dirty look before slinking off to a more stable place to sleep.

"What kind of trouble?" Ryou asked as he slipped into his shoes and laced them up.

_Aihane type trouble. It looks like he's finally made his move and in a way we never could have imagined, _Skeith provided as Ryou hurried through his room and out of the front door. Chigusa was just getting ready to knock and he nearly bowled her over. Grabbing her by the waist he steadied her and gave a breathless apology.

"You're up! I don't know what's going on exactly, but Innis said that there's serious trouble brewing in South Africa and it's slowly heading north throughout the country. I don't know what Aihane did, but this isn't looking good," Chigusa said as they hurried down the hallway towards the elevators.

Once they finally made their way to the central room far below ground they saw that all the other staff was already there. Ryou and Chigusa spotted Ren and Kisho and moved over to stand next to them. Everyone was talking in hushed tones and tension hung heavily in the air. Ryou was about to ask what was going on but his attention was drawn to the giant screen down at the other end of the room. An international news station was playing and the words Breaking News were scrolling across the bottom in bright red and yellow letters. Everyone fell silent as the news caster started talking.

"We go back to South Africa where a large city has become the victim of an unexpected and unstoppable attack. The power grid, water grid, and cell phone towers were all attacked and taken offline early Monday morning. For the first few hours police were able to maintain order, but now the situation is becoming increasingly volatile in a country that is already infamous for its violent crimes. Police stations have been attacked and set on fire. Shops have been ransacked and riots have spread throughout the city and now the countryside as the power outage spreads throughout the rest of the country," she said showing aerial footage of the city. Fires were spreading everywhere and some sections of the city were completely and totally flodded. Cars were bumper to bumper on all the major streets and huge fights were breaking out everywhere.

"Authorities have confirmed that the attack was been done by rogue A.I.'s. The World Network Commission is investigating the matter now but we have little else to go on. So far we don't know why these A.I's have attacked although there are rumors that they may have some association with the AIDA virus. Possibly even having been corrupted by it themselves thus causing their aberrant behavior. The military is deploying every machine at their disposal to try to maintain order. South Africa has closed its borders and within the matter of a few hours has set up strict checkpoints and is confiscating any and all electronic devices from those who wish to leave the country," she added showing ground footage of soldiers wrestling a laptop away from a man and using their guns to make him back off.

"The response from the South African government has been swift and while some have condemned the harsh actions at the borders the WNC has praised the action. According to them if this was caused by a virus or rogue A.I. then it could spread to other countries by something as simple as a cell phone signal," she said reading a report in front of her. Ryou frowned at those words and turned to Ren who was chewing on the edge of a pen.

"Aihane? Using the Epitaphs to attack the city infrastructure? South Africa has a terrible crime rate already. A situation like this a perfect storm. Aihane knew exactly what would happen," Ryou said as the news reporter droned on about the situation.

Kisho rubbed his chin and looked up at them as he said, "The real question is what's going to happen after this. This is spreading throughout the entire country and the countries just above it have reported increased trouble with their own power, water, and cell phone systems. If its proved that A.I's did this then its going to cause people to panic. A.I.'s are being used in all sorts of areas of public service. In major cities A.I.'s are used to run public transport and answer customer service calls. I mean there are robots in all aspects of people's lives now. Mechanics use them to operate machines that fix other machines, surgeons use A.I. guided robots for precision surgery and more. All it takes is one person suggesting that A.I.'s are dangerous and it will set off a chain reaction," he paused and nodded towards the screen. "Then again that may be what he wants. We're trying to bring the online world and real world closer together. If Aihane plants doubts in people's minds then he'll undo everything that we've worked so hard to do here at G.U.," he said as Chigusa fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Not only that, but a lot of the machine's we've created are made for military purposes too. South Africa has already deployed theirs to help handle the spreading violence since it's safer then sending in human soldiers. Those A.I. controlled machines will have to take firm action and that could lead to resentment towards them as well. This is really bad," Chigusa said turning to Ryou who nodded in agreement. They all fell silent as they watched the news and saw a group of men mercilessly beating down a police officer in the street before taking his gun away and running off with it. Ren shook her head in disgust and threw her pen down.

"But why? I mean other than causing chaos what is this possibly going to accomplish?" Ren asked, but no one could even begin to think of what the answer to that might be.

* * *

><p>One by one the lights all around them started to wink out. When all the lights on the road behind them had gone out Shino started up the truck and slowly drove off the road and pulled on to a wide wooden ramp that led down to the beach. The tide was in and the water was up pretty far so there wasn't very much beach to drive on, but there was enough for them to get where they needed. Cutting the wheel to the right Shino drove quietly for two miles before a light blinked at her from up ahead at the water's edge. Flashing her headlights in response, Shino looked over at Masato who reached over and squeezed her free hand.<p>

_Ok let's do this, _Shino thought as she drove forward until a huge boat came into view near the boat ramp. It was one of those vehicles that could drive on land and then go through the water like a boat. However seeing one this massive took her breath away. This would be their ticket out of here. It was floating several feet out. Close enough for them to be able to get on, but far enough out that it wouldn't get stuck in the sand or get caught on the asphalt ramp. Two tanks, a few other vehicles and assorted other machines were already loaded on. Dim lighting lit up the deck and a spot light illuminated the water and them moved back towards the boat. They were signalling her to drive closer and get on.

Moving herself into place she drove into the water until it was up to the bottom of the doors. The truck engine compartment was clearly filling with water, but just when she was starting to get worried she felt a bump as they hit the end of a long ramp. Hitting the gas, Shino pressed down on the gas and drove up the ramp and out of the water. Once fully on the boat she drove forward until the spotlight blinked and shut off. The boat barely shifted under the extra weight.

Looking in the mirror, Shino could see the ramp retracting and lifting up behind them. Several long minutes passed before her stomach lurched as the boat moved forward into deeper water and began heading out. Sighing in relief she sank back against the driver's seat and reached back to rub Mera's head when the dog started whining anxiously.

"Looks like we've made it. Whether we'll make it out safely or not is another matter, but so far so good," Masato said his eyes focused on the mirror as the coastline began moving farther and farther away. They were moving at fairly good speed, but it would still be about 15 minutes before they arrived at the aircraft carrier. Shino grunted but didn't answer. She wouldn't be comfortable until they were on safely and heading out into the Pacific. Thankfully Masato didn't press her and instead sat there in silence. The tarp across the back of the truck had already been pulled back slightly and the mechanical body Aura was using was up staring out at the water alertly.

The time on the truck's clock ticked by painfully slowly and it was all Shino could do to sit still and nod get out and paced back and forth. The dogs were already agitated and she didn't want to get them more upset. Finally the large shape of the _Kyodaina Nami_ loomed above them and the boat they were on moved forward towards a large opening at the back of the carrier. Shino could hear the chugging of the boat change to the roar of an engine as they powered up a huge ramp and into the bowels of the carrier. Everything was pitch black and remained that way as the ramp lifted up behind them until it stopped at an angle. A loud hissing noise sounded around them as the ramp sealed shut against the side walls of the carrier to keep the water out. Once that was done lights flashed on along the sides of the carrier.

They were clearly inside a holding area and it had more than enough space for the vehicles and machines they had on this barge. It took a while before the barge turned around and finally started the process of letting all the machines off. The ones with legs simply walked or ran off. Some of them clearly happy at being on somewhat solid ground again. Or at least one that didn't shift around as much. Shino turned the truck back on and backed off as well. Hesitating for a moment, she tried to figure out where to park and then realized that it really didn't matter just so long as they were out of the way. Especially since the tanks were starting to move.

Driving over to the far wall, Shino backed up and put the truck in park. Getting out she opened the passenger door and let the dogs jump out, but firmly commanded them to 'heel'. Being guard dogs their first instinct was to run off and scan the entire area for anything or anyone that could pose a threat to their master's. However, doing that would almost certainly result in them being hit or run over by one of the other military issue machines.

Masato climbed out as well and went around the back of the truck and put the tail-gate down. Immediately Aura skittered out and onto the ground and lifted herself up to look around. Long antennae twitched as she scanned the area before turning back to look at Masato.

"Hurry. We must find the command center and find out our course and how long it will take to get there. I feel there is not much time left," Aura said impatiently. Masato agreed and looked over at Shino who seemed distracted. After a moment she finally realized they were waiting for her to reply.

"What? Oh, go ahead without me and take Raiden and Nezumiiro with you," Shino said referring to the rottweiler and german shepherd who were calmly waiting for a command to follow. "I... I want to stay here for a bit and talk to the other machines. You know find out why there were abandoned out there and see what else they might know. I mean you don't just leave a bunch of A.I. controlled machines behind to rust away," she said still partly distracted. Masato watched her but realized after a moment that she obviously wasn't ready to share whatever it was that was bothering her.

* * *

><p>Abigail sighed and stared at the tablet she had resting on her legs. Currently she was sitting cross-legged on Terra's hood typing up detailed mission report. After getting break they had handed over their rescued hostages and immediately gone in for questioning about what had happened. Several hours later they had all been released with orders to have their mission reports ready in the next few days. The guys had already finished theirs and were off sleeping or getting something to eat. Abigail had excused herself saying she hadn't finished her report. In reality she had finished it a few hours after they'd been released from their debriefing and just wanted an excuse to be in this area of the hastily built army base.<p>

During the long, detailed, and rather aggravating debriefing session the tiny scorpion machine that had been nestled under her clothes had snuck out and quickly disappeared. Abigail didn't have the slightest idea of where it was now, but she suspected it was over here next to the electronics tent and War Room as they called it. Both were huge tents and every drone and machine was tracked from in here. All the missile controls were operated from in here, all aerial footage and ground footage was processed here, Terra's progress and status were broadcast live on one of the computers there, radio and phone signals went in and out, all troops were carefully accounted for, monitored, and more. In the War Room all the mission plans were created and sent out to each team or to individual people. Anything that was going on was or had been through one of these two areas at some point. It was also just down from the spot where they kept their military machines parked.

_I'll bet almost anything that little machine is in there soaking up information right now, _Abigail thought and her stomach churned at the thought. _My God... what have I done? I mean maybe one could argue that I didn't really have much of a choice but I doubt that will appease any of the military commanders here. I brought a foreign and unidentified machine in here. We don't know much of anything about it or the larger Assassin that sent it here with me, not to mention that people at large aren't even supposed to know of the Assassin's existence. Instead of turning it over for inspection and examination I let it run around and check... no... steal all of our military plans and data so it can do who knows what with them, _she considered with a heavy sigh.

"I am so screwed," Abigail said with a groan as she flopped back and banged her head against the windshield. A small beep came from the tablet and Abigail lifted it up above her so she could read it. It was a message from Terra.

_Don't worry. I'm sure you'll only get a dishonorable discharge, be stripped of every accomplishment you've ever made, possibly end up in jail, and disgrace everyone in your family. I mean it could be worse right?_

Abigail couldn't help but laugh. Stretching out her legs she twisted around slightly to look up at the tiny camera that she could see up above the front windshield.

"Thanks Terra. I'll make sure to write to you when I'm in jail," she said with a smile. Another beep came announcing a response from Terra.

_Email only. I don't read print, _she responded and Abigail chuckled and settled back into a more comfortable position.

"Will do, my friend. Will do."

Abigail stared at the tablet screen for the millionth time and finally closed out the document. Her report was just fine. It was accurate enough and didn't reveal anything about the Assassin machine they had seen. None of the guys had mentioned it and it had even been scrubbed from Terra's camera footage although how she did that was impossible to discern. The rescued hostages had been warned that it would be best not to speak of the massive scorpion machine either and they apparently had adapted their story to comply with that warning. So their tracks were covered, but only for now. The commanders here were clearly suspicious but there was nothing else they could do but continue investigating by other means.

A tiny clicking sound pulled her attention away and Abigail looked down to see the scorpion machine frantically speeding across Terra's hood. It all but dove at her and scurried into her right boot where she could feel it grab her ankle tightly enough to hold on, but not enough to hurt her.

"What the...?" she started but was interrupted when Terra's engine roared to life and her headlights flashed on. The humvee gave a loud honk and the driver's side door swung open. Now that was one action that did not need translating. Scrambling frantically Abigail rolled of the hood and onto her feet as the base camp came to life, alarms blaring in warning everywhere. Turning around she quickly grabbed her rifle off the hood and threw it in the vehicle first before jumping into the driver's seat. Terra's wheels were spinning before she even had a chance to close the door. Leaping forward, Terra swung out from her parked spot and flew across the concrete passing several soldiers who had run out to see what was going on. Then just as quickly as she had started, Terra slammed on the brakes nearly slamming Abigail's head against the wheel. The passenger side door and right side door both jerked open as Harry and Andre jumped into the vehicle their faces flushed with fear.

Before anyone could say anything flash of light lit up the area followed by an explosion and shockwave that rocked Terra's heavy frame.

"What's going on?" Abigail demanded as she turned around. What she saw took her breath away. Flames and smoke were leaping up towards the sky. Something had hit the area where they had just been. Even Terra wouldn't have survived a direct hit like that. Several other vehicles had been flung away or been twisted horribly by the explosion. Someone or something was firing at them. Harry shook his head and ran hand through his buzz cut as Terra took off again towards a figure that was standing a few hundred feet away waving their arms. When they got closer Abigail could see that it was Alex. Once again Terra screeched to a stop and he ran around the left side of the vehicle and threw himself in desperately. More explosions sounded in the distance as they pulled off.

Alex was gasping for breath, but still managed to explain. "We've been set up. Everything we've done here... no... our whole reason for being here at all was a lie. The insurgents and the Egyptian government were both working together. The government here has been siphoning all of our information and data so they can sell it to Russia and China. The insurgents acted as if they were trying to overthrow the government, but it was just a distraction. We focus on the insurgents and we don't focus on the Egyptian leaders who are wandering around our base planting bugs, phone taps, computer viruses and more. They've been after our newest machines this whole time and been using our own computer systems here to do it. That's how they knew where Terra was gonna be and how they were able to ambush us," Alex stopped for a moment to take some more gasping breaths.

"The commander's here figured that out and have been quietly removing all the devices and traces while they figured out how to deal with the situation. Naturally the Egyptian's figured out that we had caught on to them when they started getting their flow of information cut off. Now they've launched a full-scale cyber attack and hacked our missile systems. I don't know who they're working with, but they made it look like the orders were coming straight from a nearby A.I. System. I was in the electronics tent to discuss some things Terra had picked up on her sensors when the news came over and the Major stormed in announcing the news," Alex said as Abigail leaned forward to look out of the window. More streaks of smoke were flying through the sky towards them.

"He ordered someone to go and take you into custody for questioning, Abigail. Everyone has seen how close of a bond you've developed with Terra so you were the first suspect. I thought you were off in the living quarters so I snuck out and went running to tell you what was going on when the first missiles were spotted," Alex was finally starting to calm down a little. "I don't know what happened in between when I heard the order to take you in and the first missile sightings but everyone was running around grabbing things and packing up as quickly a they could so I assume an evacuation order was..." he was cut off when a missile shot straight over their head and exploded behind them.

Harry swore and twisted around in his seat as he stared at the aftermath. There was no time to think about it because three more missile flew around them going all different directions. Explosions boomed all around them as Terra drove as fast as she could to the edge of the base. They were almost there and Terra clearly was not going to stop for the check-point or the fence that had been set up all around the perimeter of the base. Other military vehicles were leaving the base as quickly as they possibly could as well. Tanks were moving out and helicopters were lifting off as well. Everyone was fleeing the area as quickly as they could.

Looking through the window, Abigail could see more missiles firing off from the base here as well.

"There's another American military base several miles away from here. That must be where the missiles are coming from and it looks like some of ours are going back over there in return. This is madness," she muttered bracing herself as Terra slammed though the gate and made a sharp turn to the right. Mountain-like sand dunes loomed on the horizon and they were heading straight for them.

"This is hell on earth that's what it is..." Andrea whispered as he turned back to stare at the base. Or where it had been at least. Smoke had obscured all view of it now aside from the vehicles and personnel who were evacuating from it. Some were loaded with supplies and equipment while another tank was covered in soldiers and had a relatively empty military jeep following close behind it. Two helicopters circled the destruction from a safe distance taking evasive maneuvers when more missiles came streaking into the area and peppered what remained of the base and the ground around it with fire and shrapnel. Everyone stared for a moment as they pulled farther and farther away. They weren't following along with the rest of the soldiers who were evacuating. They were all heading towards the capital while they were heading straight for the windswept dunes of the Sahara Desert. Harry fidgeted uneasily and spoke up.

"Terra where are we going? Maybe I can't read your mind like Abigail can, but I do know that there's no way you could have done this. She wouldn't have either. So why are we running?" Harry asked but the display screen was dark and didn't activate.

Alex leaned over the seat and said, "If they didn't think we were guilty before then they're going to be assured of it after this. We need to go back," he nudged Abigail's shoulder and she chewed her bottom lip but didn't answer him. Instead she looked through the windshield at the missile trails crisscrossing their sky.

"I don't know guys. If someone can set up something like this... then who know's what's waiting for us back there? In this kind of chaos the usual rules of law and order aren't exactly going to apply. How many soldiers died? How much equipment was lost? How much of a setback had the US suffered just in the past half hour? Terra isn't just rare, she's the first A.I. driven military humvee of her kind in action right now. It's no secret around the base that she prefers my company and we work well together," Abigail said as her face set into a firm mask. "No. Until we know who did this and where they're at I say we keep going as far away from them as possible. If someone captures her then they could steal her technology and reverse engineer it just like with the other drones and the new style of tanks that were deployed here and were selected for A.I. modification," she added and rubbed her hands on her pants to wipe off the sweat on them.

Harry looked torn while Alex looked ready to argue, but it was Andre who broke the tension.

"Our girl here has a point," he said. Everyone turned to stare at him as Terra continued driving and Andre explained.

"Think about it. The military finds out the Egyptian government has deceived us the entire time. Then a missile attack 'conveniently' destroys our base and by destroying the base they've destroyed the best evidence we have that the government here was doing something wrong. Not only that, but they or likely someone working with them has made it look like an A.I. instigated the attack. The only one around is Terra and any evidence that could have been used to clear her name is either going up in flames behind us or is sitting in her memory banks right here," Andre explained to them.

Alex frowned at that and said, "And someone could argue that anything Terra knows is biased or cannot be trusted especially if they think she's responsible for the attack on the base."

Andre nodded and continued his explanation. "We go back there and chances are we're screwed. Their best evidence is gone and the military will have no chance but to take Terra and all of us into custody while they investigate the matter. With this missile attack it has become an international disaster. The United States is going to be furious and the Egyptian government is going to try their best to cover their tracks. We go back there and we are screwed for sure," he said firmly and Alex grumbled and sat back in his seat. Harry turned back around and stared through the window as the looming sand dunes got closer and closer.

"So what do we do? We can't just run away forever? I mean we have no way of getting back home and we can't leave Terra here alone. I won't do that," Abigail said with a worried look back at the dashboard and the constantly moving steering wheel. A second passed before she let out a scream and reached down into her boot for something. When she pulled her hand out she had the tiny scorpion machine in her hand. The one Death Reaper had given her earlier. Of course none of her team had seen it before. Abigail rubbed inside her boot with one hand while the little machine settled itself on her other palm.

"What in the world is that?" Harry demanded as he leaned over to get a better look at it. Immediately the tiny machine backed up on Abigail's arm and snapped its claws at him until he backed up.

"It's not important. What is important is that this may be the key to solving part of this mystery," she replied as she held the scorpion closer to her face. "That is why you pinched me isn't it? Did you get the information you needed? Something that will help prove what's really going on here?" Abigail said and the machine clicked its claws together and lifted them in a gesture of victory. Looking up at her teammates she grinned at them. "I think we have our ticket home boys. This little one..." she paused for a moment and thought better of what she wanted to say. "Well that doesn't matter. But it has what we need to prove that Egyptian government was lying us and that the missile attack wasn't Terra's fault... don't you?" Abigail hesitated at the last part, but relaxed when the machine in her palms lifted its claws again victoriously.

Everyone was distracted by a sudden beep and Terra's dashboard screen lighting up. Maps and information flashed across the screen at blinding speed.

"What's going on?" Alex peered around the back seat to get a better look.

"I think all that is what Terra is doing right now. Missile trajectories, the locations of the rest of the soldiers, where they're heading now, any possible missile heading out way. Oh man it's making my eyes hurt. No wonder she's been so quiet. That's a lot to keep track of in addition to figuring out what happened, running away, and keeping us puny humans from getting blown up," Andre said as he rubbed his eyes.

The screen minimized as a message popped up.

_I've been contacted by Death Reaper. The Assassin machine we met before. We must meet up with her and give her the data contained on that little machine Abigail has in her hands. Once that is done arrangements will be made for us to be airlifted out of here. When the information is in Death Reaper's possession it will be given to G.U. who will initiate an investigation,_ Terra said as a few more missiles streaked by behind them.

"Wait? G.U.? Who is that and what can they do about anything?" Harry asked in confusion.

_The World Network Commission handles cyber related crimes and laws as they apply to humans. G.U. handles cyber related activity as it applies to A.I.'s and A-Life systems. Since this attack right now is believed to have originated from an A.I. it falls under the jurisdiction of G.U., _Terra paused for a moment before adding. _Of course if you bothered to keep up with the international news feed like Abigail and Alex have then you would already know that. It the only thing people have been talking about in the news for the past three days, _she said and though she couldn't say the words aloud her snarky tone was all too obvious.

Harry flushed and looked away as Abigail interrupted.

"So where are we going now?"

_Death Reaper informs me that the government here is aware of our survival and escape and is sending a group of insurgents out to kill you and capture me. She is too far away to help us and so she is sending us out deeper into the Sahara along with a mission plan to follow, _Terra said as she shifted gears and started heading up one of the giant sand dunes thus taking them into the deep desert.

Abigail was obviously not thrilled at the prospect but swallowed any objections. Lifting her palm up to her shoulder she let the tiny scorpion machine crawl on and asked, "So what are we supposed to do? I mean they could be scrambling jets and tanks against us. You're tough, but you're not allowed to fight. We can't kill them with the rifles we have. If we have any here at all," she reminded Terra.

_Of course we can't. That's why we're going to summon an Assassin who will, _Terra said before her display screen clicked off again.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> And that concludes another chapter! Amazing how quickly things can change isn't it? Next chapter you'll get a look at a brand new Assassin and believe me that is going to make for one heck of a battle sequence. Next chapter will be up soon!


	10. Earth Movers

Time-line Update and time progression: Sahara Desert, North Africa, Wednesday August 28

Chapter 10: Earth Movers

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><p>Andre grunted and flopped back down in his seat. He took a sip from his Emergency Water Ration which was basically just a can of hot, metallic tasting water. Likely it had been sitting under Terra's seats since she had first been sent here over a month ago. Currently he was staring at the small note pad in his hand. Since there wasn't much else to do while Terra drove he had decided to take inventory of everything inside the Humvee.<p>

During the night Terra had stopped in the shadow of a hug sand dune, but as soon as the sun rose she had deployed the solar panels stored away under the thick roof armor. It only took about 15 minutes before she had the energy she needed. After retracting the panels they were off again.

"So... first off this water is the nastiest thing I have ever tasted in my life," Andre shuddered in disgust as he finished it off and put the can down by his feet. "Second of all we have one shoulder mounted grenade launcher, two shoulder mounted rocket launchers, ten hand thrown grenades, and four of the newly licensed semi-automatic rifles," he listed as Alex distributed the rifles to each team member. "We already had the rifles in here but the other weapons were just supposed to be transported to the city in the morning. I guess we should be grateful that we have them now," Andre twisted around in his seat to look through the back window. Through the desert haze the metallic glint of several vehicles flashed back at them. Looking back over his shoulder he glanced at Abigail who was busy fiddling with Terra's display screen. "Okay so I know we have a plan and all but... anyone mind telling us humans what that might be?" he asked slowly.

His question met with no response.

"Fine. Cool. Be like that. It's always the black man that dies first in every action movie anyway, isn't it?" Andre said as he sank back down in his seat.

Alex now had his face buried in an operations manual for Terra, but still added, "No it's Harry who goes first. The comedic relief has to go at some point so I say it's him. Then you, then me as the stuck up jerk, and then Abigail the Computer Whisperer will make it out safely with her metal steed," he said and Andre gasped and put a hand on his chest.

"Did _you_ actually make a joke? Oh now I _know _I'm about to die!"

Abgail sighed and rolled her eyes at the guys before clearing her throat to catch their attention. Harry was sleeping so she punched him in the arm until he jerked awake.

"What? Are we under attack? I'm awake!" he said flailing around. Ignoring him, Abigail instead brought up a map on Terra's display screen.

"This area marked in red is where we're headed right now. Apparently that is where the Assassin who's going to help us is located. Those white dots behind us represent whatever bad guys are chasing us on land. Blue dots you see hovering at the edge of the screen and moving slightly are aerial back-up. Likely jets that were scrambled and are still making their way in our direction. Those dark green blobs are tanks. At least five of them moving to cut us off. We're heading in a straight line and haven't changed course so they should reach us just as we hit the edge of that red area," Abigail explained to them as Terra continued speeding across the desert sand. Andre stared at the screen and then looked at Abigail suspiciously.

"So what about the Assassin? Are we just supposed to drive around while tanks and jets use us for target practice?" he asked as the map zoomed out slowly. Now they could see the two blue dots quickly moving towards them. Those jets would definitely reach them before anything else did. Abigail pursed her lips.

"Ohhhhh heck no. You're serious? We just drive around and wait for... _whatever_ it is to show up?" Andre demanded as Alex muttered something to himself and reached around behind him to grab a few grenades.

"No! Well... okay maybe. Look we're close enough to that big red area no. Technically speaking it should take no more than five or ten minutes for it to show up. That's what Terra said and that's all she knows so far," Abigail said as the little scorpion machine on her shoulder turned around and snapped its tiny claws at him. Holding his hands up in surrender Andre backed off.

"Okay, okay, just asking. No need to sic your robo pals on me," Andre assured as he settled back in his seat.

There wasn't time for anyone to say anything more, because Terra suddenly let out a loud alarm and swerved sharply to the left. A loud BOOM rattled the Humvee as sand flew up all around them. A loud roar sounded as a jet shot by overhead. Terra's alarm sounded again and this time she swerved to the right as another explosion spit sand everywhere. A second jet shot by overhead and began making a wide turn.

"Were those missiles?" Harry asked as the vehicles chasing them began to move closer as well. Alex shook his head at that question.

"No those were just standard bullets. You'd know if they were shooting missiles at us," Alex said grabbing his seat-belt as Terra pulled to the left and slammed on the brakes as a streak went shooting by them. "Now _that_ was a shoulder mounted rocket. It looks like they finally caught up with us," he added as the pursuing vehicles started coming closer and closer in the mirror. On Terra's display screen a timer was counting down the distance to the red area. Abigail took a deep breath and checked the safety on her rifle as the window next to Alex rolled down.

"Well I say that we get things started off. Because I don't feel like sitting around and being used for target practice do you Terra?" Alex asked and Terra started slowing down. Immediately one of the Humvee's behind them leapt forward until it was only a few yards behind them. Alex grabbed a grenade and pulled the pin out of it before climbing halfway of the window. Before one of the other men could do the same he threw the grenade in a perfect arc. It would have landed right on the hood of the vehicle, but the other driver swerved sharply and the grenade exploded harmlessly in the sand.

"I'll keep throwing these to keep them at a distance, but we only have nine left. We do have the shoulder mounted grenade launcher, but it's empty so we'll have to use some of the remaining nine if we decide to put it to good use. There are the two rocket launchers but those are only good for one shot each since we don't have extra rockets. After that we'd better hope that Assassin comes quickly or we'll be seeing how well these new rifles perform," he shouted as Andre handed him another grenade to throw. He launched two more before the other Humvee's got close enough to start shooting bullets at him. Climbing back inside he looked around at the rest of the team.

"Well now what do we..." Alex trailed off as he leaned forward to look through the front wind shield. "A sandstorm? But it doesn't look... natural," he observed staring at the huge pillar of sand that was coming up from the ground a few miles in front of them. Within seconds the desert wind had started to whip it around and form it into the more alarming wall of dust and sand that they had grown accustomed to seeing. But steadily closing in from the sides ahead of them were tanks and their gun barrels had just started to rotate their way.

"Well people here we go," Alex said as he reached up and unlocked the hatch in Terra's roof. Climbing out of his seat, Harry stood up through the roof and reached down. Alex handed him one of the rocket launchers and Harry turned around and after aiming he launched it at one of the pursuing vehicles. A huge explosion of sand and smoke obscured their view at first, but after a few seconds it was clear he'd scored a direct hit.

"Hand me the other one! I'm going for one of the tanks! We can at least slow it down a little!" Harry shouted over the increasing wind and bullet fire. The remaining rocket launcher was quickly in his hand and with it he fired off a rocket at tank closest to them. This time he aimed for the tank treads which was in full view. A direct hit exploded against the side of the tank and damaged its treads but not enough to make it stop. The other's were also still coming and they weren't close enough to use the grenade launcher on. Ducking back inside Harry crawled back into his seat and let Alex seal the hatch again.

"Okay so much for that. We're almost... HOLY...!" Harry was cut off when the sand directly in front of Terra exploded upwards. A giant cylinder of twisting metal shot up and over top of Terra who quickly swerved to avoid the machine. "What was _that_? I've seen four-lane highways smaller than that thing!" he cried out as he whipped around in his seat to catch sight of whatever it was. It had already gone crashing down behind them causing the pursing vehicles to scatter frantically. Seconds later it reared up out of the sand giving them a better look at what it was. It's long but wide body was marked by huge grooves that were twisting in one continuous motion like the ridges on a drill.

Andre whistled at the sight and asked, "What is that? A snake?"

The metal contraption was a dull reddish-brown and it turned towards them to reveal a rather blunt head with no visible eyes. It didn't seem very imposing, but then its mouth opened. Inside rows upon rows upon rows of serrated metal teeth spun around like blades all the way back down its throat as far as they could see.

"Not a snake! Not a snake!" Andre squealed as Terra continued driving ever closer to the swirling sandstorm. Three of the tanks that had been moving to cut them off now turned and began shooting at the new machine. Unfortunately for them it wasn't about to just hang around and be shot at. It slid backwards back into the sand and vanished from sight. Everyone was thrown against their seats when Terra made a sharp turn to the left and started driving parallel to the wall of sand. More explosions rocked them as the jets that had passed by before once again shot by overhead. Abigail cursed as two of the four tanks that were otherwise unoccupied by the new machine began to fire at them as well.

A beep came from Terra as a message flashed up on-screen.

_That giant machine behind us is the Assassin known as Atlas. It's trying to give us time to get into the storm. Unfortunately our pursuers don't want us going in there. The jets won't be able to follow us in there and if the storm is big enough then we could easily lose them. Their visibility will be reduced to almost zero. My equipment and sensors will allow me to see through the sand perfectly. Even if they aren't aware of that they still are not about to take any chances, _Terra informed as she tried again to move closer to the wall of the storm only to be turned away by more fire.

A loud groan followed by the screeching of metal rang throughout the air. Everyone turned to see one of the enemy Humvee's sink down into the sand and disappear. Seconds later Atlas burst out of the sand and they watched as the back end of the Humvee vanished into its mouth followed by more screeching metal. It swooped down towards the sand and swung its body around like a giant whip taking out at least three more Humvee's before grabbing them with its huge mouth and swallowing them down just as it had the first one. When that was done it sank back into the sand. Vanishing without a trace. There were still six Humvee's left and three peeled off to go after Atlas while the other three gave the giant machine as wide a berth as possible.

The Humvee's surrounded Atlas as it came up out of the ground again. They started firing rockets and grenades and explosions flashed up and down its metal body but didn't seem to be doing much damage.

Alex hummed suddenly and snapped his fingers before saying, "It's a sandworm. Like from that movie Dune." When everyone just stared him he grunted in disgust and waved his hand. He looked like he wanted to ask something else but another message popped up before he could finish talking.

_I'd hang on if I were you. It's about to get really, really, hot in here,_ Terra said cryptically as she swung away from the sandstorm and began to drive back in Atlas general direction in a wide circle.

"What's it doing?" Andre asked as Atlas' mouth opened. As they circled around fully they saw its mouth open wide which allowed them to see a fiery glow coming from inside its throat. Atlas looked like it was aiming straight for one of the Humvee's surrounding it. Moment's later a blinding flash nearly blinded all of them and the temperature in the Humvee shot up so fast it took their breath away despite the fact that they were at least half a mile away. When the flash of light cleared they could see a brilliant red and orange beam coming from Atlas' mouth.

Rearing back the machine whipped its head around in a circle sending the beam shooting past over top of them and scorching the surrounding sand. It turned the enemy Humvee's into molten slag. Blazing streaks curled around Atlas where the beam hit. Steam belched forth out of Atlas mouth and out of countless side vents before the machine slid backwards and disappeared back into the sand.

Harry whistled appreciatively. "What was that? Some type of heat ray? A laser? Just on a bigger scale?" he asked as Terra completed her turn and hit the gas. Once again they were driving straight towards the sandstorm which was close enough now that it took up most of the horizon and all of the sky. Harry pulled at his shirt as sweat poured down his face. Thankfully Terra had air conditioning and she turned it up full blast as her vents worked to pump the hot air out of the cabin.

The roar of engines said that the jets were coming back around and Atlas apparently wasn't done. Once again it rose up out of the sand this time closer to the edge of the sandstorm. Despite the machine's size it was surprisingly fast and in a few seconds Atlas had set up for another attack. The jets flew closer and closer and they could see rockets launch from the jets but they were far too late. Atlas jerked backwards as a red beam shot straight out of its mouth and enveloped both of the jets. Two explosions could be seen and the melting bodies of the jets dropped down and crashed into the sand. With that taken care of Atlas plunged forward and slid back into the sand.

The other three Humvee's were nowhere in sight. Had they already entered the sandstorm? The remaining tanks had not only stopped, but had quickly started to back up upon seeing Atlas attack.

A beep announced another message and everyone crowded in to see what it said.

_Message from Atlas: "See you inside the storm. Try not to get eaten little humans. I'd hate to lose you so soon after saving your tiny lives. Hahaha! THAT WAS NOT A JOKE."_

Alex immediately scowled at the words. "Oh perfect another comedian. As if Terra wasn't bad enough," he grumbled as they approached the wall of sand and plunged into the swirling sand.

Once inside visibility shot down to less than 20 feet ahead of them. The front windshield flashed and shifted as Terra worked her magic. Seconds later visibility was back up but it was still only about a 50 feet in any direction. Semi transparent screens flashed up on the windshield marking the location of the remaining tanks and Humvees.

"Wait... she could do this all along?" Andre demanded as Terra began to slow down. Immediately he glared at Abigail. "Why didn't you tell us!" he demanded.

"You never asked."

_You never asked._

Abigail said it at the same time Terra's message popped up in one corner of the windshield. Andre sighed heavily and just sat back in his seat.

_Get the grenade launcher. We're going after one of the tanks, _Terra added and Alex turned around to grab it and he handed over to Harry who was reaching back for it.

"But what good will that do? I mean I'm never going to be able to get a good shot with this sand blowing around," Harry pointed out even as he made sure it was loaded.

_It wouldn't do a lot of good against those tanks anyway. You don't need to be accurate. You just need to get their attention and make them follow us. The Assassin will take care of the rest,_ Terra explained as she sped up and headed straight towards one of the tanks marked on her radar. Within a few seconds the large figure of the tank appeared in front of them.

Alex opened the roof hatch and shouted for Harry to go. Harry quickly popped up through the hatch and fired off a haphazard shot in the tanks direction. It must have found them on its radar or other sensor because it had already started to turn towards them. The grenade exploded in the sand just in front of the tank.

Dropping back down inside Harry grimaced and stared at the faint redness on his arms. Sand howled over head and drifted down through the open roof hatch.

"Man it is brutal out there! I hope Atlas comes through for us!" Harry shouted as Terra made as tight a turn as she could and started driving deeper towards the center of the sandstorm. Just as she said the tank started to follow them. The gun barrel shifted slightly as the tank lined them up for a shot, but suddenly jerked backwards. A moment later it started to sink and slide backwards into the sand.

"Yes! Atlas got it!" Harry shouted triumphantly. "Hey there's another tank! Alex hand me another grenade!" he ordered and after the launcher was loaded up again he pushed open the roof hatch and fired another shot in the tanks direction. The grenade fell several yards short, but the resulting explosion a few seconds later was enough to catch their attention. Immediately the tank swung around and started coming towards them. It got within about 30 feet of the other tank before it too started to sink.

Harry's whoop of triumph could just barely be heard over the wind. The sand behind the tanks was sinking in rapidly as if a giant hole had opened up somewhere underneath it. Heavy as they were the tanks were still moving backwards and the sand was plunging down in an ever growing circle. Harry was so thrilled by their apparent victory that it took him a second to realize there was a very, _very_ big problem.

Terra had started to sink too. Even now she was being pulled forward as the circle of sinking sand moved past her and continued to widen.

"Whoa! What's going on? This is way too big to be from Atlas!" Harry crouched down inside the cabin briefly so he didn't have to shout as loudly. "Terra you said the Assassin would take _care _of the rest! Not _eat_ the rest right along with us too!" he complained as a familiar sound of groaning and grinding metal started to get louder and louder. A loud THUNK sounded and Harry whipped around to see a large cable now attached to the back of Terra. The way his military tags were sliding around his neck towards it suggested that it was magnetized. Following the cable back to the source he saw it disappear into a gaping mouth of spinning teeth.

"Atlas?" Harry squeaked as the Assassin started to reel them in and pull them out of the sand's clutches. Turning back he saw the tanks had sank down almost to the top of their treads now. "But if Atlas is back there... then who is...?" he stopped and screamed as Terra dropped a good 15 feet straight down. The sand exploded down and the tanks in front of them fell out of sight. Harry slammed against the edge of the roof hatch and found himself staring straight down into the same type of nightmarish pit that was Atlas' mouth. Only this one was over twice the size of Atlas and its thousands of teeth were currently tearing the tanks to shreds. The sound was so deafening he threw his hands over his ears, but it didn't do him any good. Terra's frame shuddered violently from the vibrations this machine was giving off. An ominous red glow was pulsing deep down the new machine's throat.

More cables shot out from the sides of its mouth and started pulling backwards not soon after. The remaining Humvee's and the last two tanks were being dragged to their death. Literally. The men on board fired off rockets, bullets, grenades and anything else they had, but nothing could stop the metal cables relentless pull. Everyone could only watch in horror as the cables detached from the vehicles and vanished back to whatever recesses they had sprung from. The rest of the vehicles dropped down into the grinding pit. One plunged straight down, but the others slammed against the sides. Abigail shuddered and turned away, but Harry stared in horrified fascination as the vehicles were torn apart as if by a giant chainsaw. Their pieces flew out everywhere before dropping down deeper into the machine's glowing depths.

_It's like staring into the depths of hell, _Harry thought as he scrambled back. He dropped back down into the cabin and sank into his seat as Alex reached up and closed the roof hatch. He was shaking so badly that Andre had to pry the grenade launcher out of his hands. He didn't even realize he still had it. He must have grabbed it before climbing back inside.

_This Assassin works in pairs apparently. Atlas is the one you saw before. His much larger counterpart is Titan. I only received this information update a few minutes ago from Atlas, _Terra informed as Atlas continued to pull them back out of harms way. They all watched as four giant panels slowly rose up out of the sand and began to close over Titan's mouth. When they were a few hundred feet away from the edge Harry realized that Terra's frame was still shaking.

Abigail glanced at him and nodded slowly.

"It looks like we're not the only ones frightened by that... that machine," her voice cracked as she said it.

When Terra's wheels were back on solid ground the cable Atlas had been towing them with detached.

_Message from Atlas: "I thought I told you that wasn't a joke? Titan may be big and slow, but she doesn't exactly need a second opportunity. Once she grabs you it's over and all your little pieces get shredded and melted down. Just be glad she didn't use her heat ray like I did. Terra may be able to survive it, but you humans never would have made it through the kind of heat that Titan gives off. Next time pay more attention to my warnings will you? Later!"_

A smiley face popped up at the end of the message before Atlas sank back down in the ground disappearing along with Titan as if they had never been there. Even the giant circles of sand that marked their presence were being blown away by the now dying sandstorm.

Silence hung in the air. No one seemed sure of what to say. All of the exposed skin on Harry's face, neck, and arms was now an angry red from the brutal sandstorm. Abigail was tightly clutching on to the little scorpion machine that had been on her shoulder until now. All around them the sandstorm started to blow out and the blue sky started to appear once again. Groaning Harry threw open the passenger side door and stumbled away a few feet where he promptly started throwing up. Andre reached around to grab a can of the emergency water and got out of Terra's cabin to go help his fellow soldier.

Finally Alex cleared his throat and spoke up.

"So I'm guessing Atlas is male and Titan is female. That is one lady I really, really would not want to piss off."

Abigail burst into nervous giggles while Terra gave one final shudder. Once Harry was feeling well enough to get back in with Andre she waited until everyone was settled. Satisfied Terra revved the engine as one final puff of sand blew by.

_Well we're alive and Titan has given me new coordinates. It looks like we're finally leaving this place, _Terra said as a small map appeared on the windshield marking their destination. After a few system checks they were on their way once again.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>First off this chapter is obviously all about what's going on with Terra and her team. Atlas and Titan are Assassins that represent Gorre, which is why there are two of them. I hope you enjoyed the fight scene as well as seeing some of what Titan and Atlas can do! There is so much more that I wanted to put into this chapter but that was going to take forever so I had to shorten it.

I was going to add another section with Aihane but that was getting to be four extra pages so instead I'm saving that for the next chapter. So you all will just have to wait a bit longer to find out what Aihane is really up to. However almost four pages of the next chapter are already done!

Speaking of Aihane things are about to change in a large way as far as he is concerned. I mean you didn't really think he was alone did you?

...okay so technically speaking he is working alone at the moment, but like I said A CHANGE IS GONNA COME. Next chapter is going to be one you really, _really _want to pay attention to. Believe me it's going to get very interesting very soon.

On to the next chapter!


	11. Obsolete

Timeline Update: Somewhere in North Africa; Thursday, August 29th

**AN: **O hai. So honestly I did not expect to have this chapter done so soon. I mean I already had about three and a half pages that I decided to cut out from the last chapter, but still I expected it to be another week. Instead my muses overtook me and here you are with another chapter!

So in case you don't know what's going on I updated this story TWICE in ONE day. Madness.

Let's see what's up with Aihane shall we?

Chapter 11: Obsolete

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><p>The restaurant was the picture of opulence. A full meal cost more than some people made in a year in other parts of the world. Only the best staff worked here and the hiring process was extremely rigid. Every customer's need was met with perfect service. It also happened to be Aihane's favorite restaurant. Although he had been here many times throughout his life it was always something he looked forward to. Unlike previous visits however, he was not going to be alone this time.<p>

Aihane looked up as an older gentleman made his way over to his table. The man walked slowly and leaned on his polished gold tipped cane for support. He wore an expensive black suit and a pinstriped fedora. Despite his obvious age he still had a full head of white hair as well as a meticulously groomed mustache and beard.

Standing up, Aihane stepped closer to the man and hugged him tightly before pulling back and motioning for him to take a seat. Groaning slightly the man settled down into the seat and settled in as Aihane motioned for a waitress to come over. After ordering a bottle of one of their finest wines he leaned back in his chair to get more comfortable as the man took his fedora off and set it down on the table.

"Well, Borislav, it has been quite a while hasn't it? How is life treating you? I know my arthritis certainly isn't getting any better," the man asked as he rubbed his knuckles. His name was Kuzma Lavrenti and he was 78 years old. Even now he worked as a cyber analyst and was a top notch hacker and robotics inventor back in Moscow, Russia.

Aihane gave the man a genuine smile and responded with, "Quite well lately. There is still so much to do, but I believe that soon Aura will be back where she belongs. If I had known what Harold originally planned for her I never would have helped him with that project," his expression slipped into a frown as he thought about that.

Kuzma nodded slowly in agreement as the waitress came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses. She poured some out for them and Aihane ordered for both of them. When she was gone they continued the conversation.

"Aura should never have been allowed to roam freely in an open network such as The World. It was far too risky of a move and one that was done out of sentiment, not sense. We can see the poor judgement of that decision made manifest in Morganna and the resulting incidents with Cubia," Kuzma spoke his English with a thick and rather ominous Russian accent. Aihane has always thought of an old Soviet soldier when he heard the man speak although he would never state that opinion aloud. Instead Aihane merely shook his head.

"Harold was pinning away after his dear Emma. Mourning the loss of someone you love is understandable but the loss of someone you never truly had is ridiculous. It's such a shame to see this happen. However, I didn't call you here to dwell on sad pastimes," Aihane said as Kuzma took a sip from his glass of wine. Raising an eyebrow the gentleman stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"The Singularity? Surely that has been reached already due to the Epitaphs. I may be an old man but I am no fool. The offspring of Morganna are quite powerful and reports of their intelligence and abilities are quite impressive," Kuzma stated and then smiled slightly. "Of course I technically am privy to such reports, but let us not pay attention to such details or how they were found. What is it you're after Borislav?" he asked curiously.

Aihane took a sip of his wine to settle his nerves. He wasn't anxious in fact it was just the opposite. He was so excited that he could barely sit still.

"The Epitaph's are not A.I.'s. They have become living electronic life forms. Creatures that can learn, grow, and multiply all on their own. They have DNA just like any human and they cannot be hacked like A.I.'s can," Aihane said trying to keep from being overly excited. "They are building robotic forms for themselves, Kuzma. They are learning how to spy on governments in a way that we never could have dreamed of," he added and now Kuzma closed his eyes thoughtfully. After a second the man opened his eyes and stared at him.

"They have not just reached human intelligence... they have surpassed it. In a way at least," Kuzma said softly and Aihane nodded.

"But it's not enough. If things continue this way then humans will destroy them. No matter how well intentioned the ideals of a few may be they will never overcome the world opinion," Aihane said firmly. "There are machines the size of tanks wandering around in Egypt. I've seen satellite pictures of them for myself. I've seen monsters that can create sandstorms and could reduce a legion of soldiers to metal slag in seconds. Humans will never allow this to continue. Artificial life forms that reproduce and build others like them with robotic bodies that have the strength of a small army? It's insanity," he hissed and then leaned back as the waitress came back with their food. Aihane waited impatiently for her to leave.

Kuzma however, raised his hand and calmly used his fork and knife to slice off a piece of his tender fish. With a slightly shaky hand he put it in his mouth and chewed calmly as he thought. Forcing himself to calm down Aihane also took a bite of his steak and savored the flavor as his companion considered things. Finally Kuzma dabbed at his mouth with his napkin and spoke.

"Delicious. Absolutely perfect. However, my opinion on the food is likely not what you are searching for is it?" Kuzma asked with clear amusement. "You have always been like this. You poke things to see if they are still alive. Take them apart to see how they work. Now you will change the world and the course of history for nothing more than your own curiosity," he said it as a statement not a question.

Aihane shrugged, "Kuzma you know me too well, but there is more. Machines will either take over human society or they will be destroyed by the terrified masses who don't realize these machines and Artificial Life systems are their saving grace. Their guardian angels," he said with a wave of his hand. "A new Singularity Point is coming and I am going to speed it up. Machines may be intelligent in some ways, but they are very stupid in others. Humans and machines need each other to survive, but the Epitaph's are not equipped to create a new society on their own," he said as Kuzma ate another piece of fish.

"They are still too reliant on their human partners," Kuzma stated as he followed Aihane's train of thought. "A new society of A.I.'s and A-Life systems must be established if they are to survive successfully, but the most powerful members are not equipped to be leaders...," he paused and gave his companion a firm look. "There's more to this isn't there? Something you aren't telling me yet," he said slowly.

Aihane smirked confidently and relaxed slightly. "Kuzma my friend you know human brains can be linked up to computers, can even be used to control and run them. We know from our experience with The World that people can even be pulled online and fall unconscious in the real world," he stopped for a moment and allowed that to sink in. "But what if you could do both? What if you could have your brain permanently linked to the internet while still having a human body?" he asked and Kuzma laughed at this.

"I think I'll pass on having a body broken by age and arthritis my friend, but this idea does intrigue me. It's certainly possible," he said rubbing his hands again. Now Aihane took out a folder and pulled out a picture of a young man. Handing it over he allowed the man to examine it for a moment before talking.

"This man is Skeith's partner. His User. I have reports detailing his current medical and physical health. Although his outward appearance may be changing slightly his biological structures have virtually stopped aging. His body repairs itself at a level that doctors worldwide would drool over if they knew about it. There's evidence that his connection with Skeith allows him to access the internet mentally without the use of a computer and that he may even be able to transfer online completely through such a connection. If he can't then it is only a matter of time before such a thing is possible," Aihane said and took another bite of his steak.

Kuzma considered the matter in his usual slow, thoughtful way for a moment.

"You don't want to control the Epitaph's yourselves. You want to get rid of them completely," Kuzma ate another piece of fish after stating it and chewed it before adding, "Then you would be able to connect yourself to the internet without the danger of being killed by them. Not just like the way the Epitaph Users have done, but actually stay there permanently like the Lost Ones did for the short time they were stuck inside of The World. People like us know the internet far better then those young upstarts ever could. With that knowledge we could be the leaders of an entirely new society," Kuzma said it in a slightly questioning manner.

Aihane nodded in confirmation, "These artificial life forms are marvelous creatures, but terribly misguided and the path they are going down will only result in their own destruction due to their attachment to humans. We can change things. It may be done by force but nothing worth having comes easy. Of course I would never dream of doing such a thing all by myself," he said with a smile.

"So what do you say my friend? It may not be eternal life but it's about as close as we're going to get. We'll live on as the rulers of a new society. One where artificial life forms live freely... but within the boundaries they should have had already. Boundaries that will ensure their continued existence for years to come," Aihane spoke his plan aloud. "With our knowledge and experience we will take them to the point where they are the highest form of life on this planet. We will help them reach the point where they have no need of humans and their violence or petty wars. One battle to end them all. A battle that will usher in a new era where artificial life forms are not limited by the standards of humanity and where even the wildest dreams are nothing more than inventions waiting to happen," he said and then stopped to take a breath.

Kuzma raised his hands to slow him down.

"Take it easy or you'll trip over your own ideas. Let's take this one thing at a time. These life forms have the potential for unparalleled intelligence, but all too often they behave as overgrown children. They need humans for the moment at least, but will eventually have to leave them behind if they are to reach their full potential. Humans need machines but also fear them and will eventually try to stop them when they realize how intelligent their creations have become. However, with us at the helm having an abundance of knowledge about both humans and the network itself we could not only lead them, but allow them to finally break free of the shackles humans would place on them. With proper rules and regulations to help them they could become the most dominant force on this planet," Kuzma said as he rubbed his beard again.

Relaxing back in his chair Aihane lifted his glass of wine and said, "And not just you and me. I know plenty of other's around the world who would be perfect when it comes to aiding our cause."

Kuzma hummed at that and went back to his fish. The rest of the meal passed in silence and polite conversation. When they were done Aihane paid the bill and walked with Kuzma outside to where a limo was waiting for the older man. Once they were there Aihane finally couldn't contain himself anymore.

"So? What do you think Kuzma? This is our chance! Our chance to start over and correct the errors Harold first made with Aura and Morganna," he said urgently as the other man calmly put his fedora back on his head and leaned slightly on his cane. Kuzma Lavrenti looked up and stared at Aihane coldly. So coldly that the man took a step back.

"You, Borislav... are a fool. Perhaps the biggest I have ever seen. More so than Harold Hoerwick ever was. You are the one who broke off from our group and went rogue with your own ideals. Now you come crawling back with delusions of grandeur? Treating me to lunch like we're just old friends who haven't talked in a while? I would slap you with my cane right here and now if we weren't standing in the middle of the street," Kuzma spat the words at Aihane who could only stare back in shock.

"Capturing the Epitaphs? Taking the remaining AIDA fragments and enslaving those who refuse to align themselves with your ideals? Then you turn around and call G.U. mad for creating their machines and new Artificial Life systems? If they are kids playing with guns then you are a God with the dreams a child. Making you far more dangerous then they are if you ask me," Kuzma said with scorn dripping from his voice. "In what possible universe could your ideas ever be possible? Taking over the world? No human can do that. No I will get the group back together, but you will not be part of it. We will usher in a new society for A.I.'s and A-Life systems but not in the manner that you would do. Not with random acts of terrorism and violence," the man shook his head and pointed an accusing finger at Aihane.

"Attacking wantonly is foolish. First you must give an ultimatum and then follow through on those words. You make a threat and then follow through on it exactly as you have stated so people know that you always do exactly as you have said you will. That is what should have been done. Not wholesale and unexpected violence of the innocent like what you are doing in South Africa. You are a terrorist plain and simple. _We_ shall be revolutionaries that the world can stand behind. Our carefully laid plans will turn G.U. into the enemy and our own Artificial Life systems will be the ones to rule over the new society. With our guidance they will create a world where the network is the lifeblood of the world and A.I's and A-Life systems create the rules and enforce the peace. Where they can live freely because humans know they have no way of stopping them from doing otherwise. They will be free to create and innovate instead of cowering under the shadow of the WNC and being reduced to pathetic civil service jobs. I have no dreams of living forever just so long as I can see this twisted world burned away and the seeds of a new one planted in its place," Kuzma said and dropped his hand.

"Really Borislav. Slavery? Did you really think you could just set them free, give them an ultimatum and they would all come running back to you with open arms? You need to use that organ between your ears the next time you try to think up ideas of world domination," Kuzma shook his head and pulled his fedora down a little. "Aura was right in wanting to create a world where A.I.'s could live openly, but then CC Corp called them Vagrant A.I.'s and began deleting them wholesale. Then when they realized that A.I.'s were here to stay the WNC took over and began changing their code; using them for pathetic jobs such as customer service. They took away their pride and courage and made them weak, subservient, slaves without them even realizing it," he continued and when Aihane opened his mouth to say something he lifted his cane and pressed the handle against the man's chest.

"But what you did was even worse. Figurative chains are bad enough. Literal ones are worse and what you plan on using Aura for is inexcusable," Kuzma said as Aihane started turning pale. "Oh you thought we didn't know about Corbenik and how your going to use Aura to control him? Pathetic. We know everything. We are everywhere. Instead of trying to rule over them you should have been working to help A.I's and A-Life systems to create their own society. Humans need them, but they do not necessarily need humans. At least not in the same way. Once you are out of the way the group will take action once again. G.U. will be dismantled piece by piece. The Epitaphs can either work with us or stay on their leashes with their human Users, but they will not be in charge. We already have our own counterparts for that and with our guidance they will be equipped with the proper knowledge to lead a society of A.I's and A-Life systems that is separate, distinct, and equal to any human government," Kuzma pulled his cane back and opened the door of the limo.

However, he had one last point to make and he turned back to Aihane for it.

"We are the masters of technology and you, Borislav, should have been part of it. But you let your power go to your head. Our goal should be to foster an environment where such technological creativity can thrive instead of being hindered and by the red tape governments throws up. Machines like the ones G.U. has created should be allowed to travel and move freely instead of operating in the shadows out of fear of public opinion. They should have the same autonomy and freedom as any other government in any first world country around the earth today. We can give them that. It will not be easy. It will not be done with hand holding and peace talks, but neither will it be done by condoning the acts of terrorist groups who slaughter innocents without sufficient warning and an opportunity to avoid such a fate," Kuzma looked the other man up and down as if he were nothing more than a rebellious teenager gone astray.

"Oh... but wait... I seem to recall a prophecy from Fidchell that was made over a year ago. I don't recall the exact words but I'm sure there was something in it about a warrior who reeks of death bringing the little children together again for battle. His master brings together the shards of darkness by freeing them from the dark one and thus gains their loyalty. Then finally the dark one who first bridged heaven and earth is plunged into an abyss and devoured by the one who reeks of death," Kuzma's eyes narrowed in great pleasure as Aihane sputtered.

"But how did you...? When did you...? You shouldn't know about that prophecy! I just recently found out that G.U. had discovered it!" Aihane said his face as white as a sheet.

Now Kuzma laughed out loud. "What did I just tell you? We know _everything_. We created the most advanced spy technology in the world and almost everything G.U. currently uses for heaven's sake!" he said with another disgusted look.

"Skeith will bring all the Epitaphs together, free the AIDA you have enslaved, gain their loyalty, and destroy you through some means yet unknown," Kuzma paused for a moment and stroked his beard. "Yes, I do believe we can easily make arrangements for that to happen," he added coolly. Now Aihane turned red with anger.

"This is... I'm not... you can't do this to me!" Aihane screamed at him all pretense of calm now gone. Kuzma pressed his cane against Aihane's chest once again when the man tried to step closer to him.

"That is where you are wrong, Borislav. You are not a God. Just a good hacker who failed to realize that it only takes one mistake, one miscalculation for the greatest of men to come crashing back down to earth. You are obsolete and it its time for you to be scrapped so that we can make way for something greater. If you're smart you'll go make some arrangements for yourself," Kuzma said as he turned and got into the limo shutting the door behind him. After moment he rolled down the window.

"You have 48 hours before we come after you. Goodby Borislav Cedomir. I'd say it's been a pleasure knowing you, but I hate being called a liar," Kuzma stated before nodding to the driver. Quietly the limo pulled away leaving a stunned and motionless Aihane standing there alone.

* * *

><p>After checking to make sure his vehicle was chained down properly, Noia moved from the storage bay to the passenger cabin of the large plane. It was a huge jumbo jet that had been remodeled for G.U. purposes so only the first class cabin was left untouched. Everything else was for cargo. Both of his raven's were already settled down in first class relaxing. The mission was almost over. Now they just had to wait for Terra and her team of humans to get here and they would be ready to leave Africa and head over to Japan.<p>

Noia himself was not flying the plane. An A.I. would be doing that job for them while Sentou stayed up front mostly for appearances. Akira was here as well and was currently outside making sure the airplane had the fuel and clearance it needed to take off. Both of them seemed like they were more than a little uneasy around him, but for humans they did a good job of hiding it. Noia didn't care if they were uncomfortable with him or not although it did seem rather silly. What reason would he ever have for hurting them? As former dothackers he gave them the respect they deserved and he wouldn't lift a hand against them unless they did something that would put G.U. operations at risk.

Shrugging it off Noia removed his dirty cloak and folded it carefully. None of the airport workers had seen him arrive and he wanted to keep it that way. All there was left to do was wait.

As if on cue the roaring of an engine sounded and Noia looked out of the window to see a large dust-covered Humvee driving towards them. It paused for a moment and he watched as Akira went over and motioned towards the plane. After moment she stepped back and Terra drove around to the back. He could feel the shift as the Humvee settled into the bowels of the plane. Someone else would make sure Terra was strapped down securely. Once the humans got in it was Noia's job to give them a short debriefing while Sentou and Akira got back on board and the A.I. got the plane ready for take off.

Fifteen minutes passed before the sound of footsteps came and the door behind him opened. Noia turned around and saw a female standing there. On her shoulder was the tiny drone that Death Reaper had already told him about. Noia pointed to her shoulder and held out his hand for her to hand it over. After a moment of hesitation she walked up to him and allowed him to take the little scorpion off her shoulder. Nodding to her he flipped the machine over and grabbed one of the long connection cables on his head. Plugging it into the bottom of the machine he downloaded all of its information and deleted it from off the machine. Then he pulled the cable out and handed the scorpion back to her. He had no use for it anymore.

Three more men had come up behind her but stopped short at the sight of him.

Noia nodded slightly to them and gestured to the seats around him.

"Please feel free to take a seat and I will explain why you are here instead of back with your fellow soldiers being questioned by one of your American superiors," Noia said and the woman took a seat but the men hesitated and took a little more time before settling into one of the plush chairs. When they were settled Noia began talking.

"G.U. is the company behind the creation of machines and Artificial Intelligence such as Terra. They have deployed many of their machines in both civilian service and military roles. They are trying to help promote a world where humans and artificial systems such as myself work more closely together and respect one another," Noia said and immediately all three men looked over at the woman who blushed and cleared her throat.

Noia scanned their faces and his processors immediately came up with their names, military ranking, military accomplishments, test scores, and more.

"Umm, okay so I kind of understand how I could be of use as far at that is concerned, but what about the rest of my team? I mean... we're good with computers, but nothing like what it took to... to... umm," Abigail paused as she looked him up and down. He knew what she was trying to say.

"Nothing like what it took to create something like me? That is obvious from your test scores and military records. However, you are good _enough _and could be better with sufficient training. No, we need you, Abigail, to continue working with Terra and we would like Alex to join you if possible. However, we have other plans for the rest of your team. If they are interested in continuing to work with us that is. It is a very dangerous occupation you may have noticed," Noia said as he glanced down at their sandy clothes.

Harry shook his head, "I don't care. I don't know if I want anything more to do with this. Right now I just want to go home and forget any of this ever happened," he said with his head in his hands.

Andre shifted in his seat and finally shrugged. "Well... I mean I am pretty shaken up but... what we just went through proves that something big is going on here so... yeah. I'm not entirely convinced, but I am willing to hear you out and see what I can do. I mean... Terra saved our lives back at the base and she didn't have to. I figure I owe her this much," he answered wringing his hands together. Alex nodded as well but didn't say anything.

Satisfied, Noia continued saying, "While Abigail and Alex would do field work with Terra, we would instead ask Andre and Harry to take up work as all-purpose body guards. You may have noticed the woman in shades who directed you into this plane. Up front in the cockpit is a young man. They may not overly skilled with computers, but that does not make their position any less important. G.U. has plenty of people working with computers and code. What they need are more field agents. Trusted people who will take care of important business whether it is acting as a body-guard, serving on a plane that is acting as transportation, interviewing those who have contacted G.U. for help, or transmitting information that cannot be trusted to the network no matter how secure it may be," Noia paused for a moment and Abigail looked down at the scorpion machine now sitting quietly in her hands.

"Yes. Like the kind of information you obtained while operating in Egypt," he clarified. Andre made a face as he thought about that.

"So... like... we'd be spies... only without so much of the cloak and dagger stuff?" he asked and Noia considered that before nodding. It wasn't quite accurate but it was a close enough description that he could let it slide for now.

"Close enough. Abigail and Alex are the ones who would be in the greatest amount of danger. Neither decision is one you want to take lightly. Our flight will take over 12 hours so you will have plenty of time to think. I'm sure Akira will be more than willing to answer any questions you might have about what being a G.U. field agent involves," Noia said this to Andre and Harry who still looked deeply disturbed.

Turning to Abigail and Alex he added, "If you have any questions about what you will be doing then I will answer them for you, but only once we are up in the air and settled in. For now I must check on Terra and see how she is handling matters," Noia took his leave and headed back into the cargo bay just as Akira was trying to come in. Stepping aside he let her come in before heading out. Terra was a big and very heavy vehicle so she had been placed in the middle by the wings to keep the plane from being destabilized while they were trying to fly.

Thick chains kept her firmly in place and while her engine was off, Noia could pick up the telltale humming that came from an electronic device running. A quick check inside the cabin confirmed that Terra was currently running an extensive self diagnostic scan of every physical and computer system that she had. She wouldn't be able to respond to any of his questions until she was done. Noia would leave her alone for now, but he would be back later on to get a full report on what had happened to them.

For now though there was a long flight ahead of them and Noia needed to report the status of their operations here to G.U. Another transport would be taking Death Reaper out of the area and to another part of the world for a different mission. Atlas and Titan were not so mobile so they stayed in either north Africa or the Middle East ready to step in whenever there was a conflict. Noia himself traveled all over the world and it wouldn't be more than a week at the most before he was sent out again to hunt down more criminals.

Silently he wondered how Syrakis was doing over in America, but the Assassin had to keep a low profile more than any of them and the way things were internationally it seemed like they would be needing his spying techniques more than ever soon enough.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Before you get too excited let me just say that the next chapter won't be coming for at least 2 to 3 weeks, but I'm sure your minds will have plenty to chew on. Things are not looking good for Aihane are they? And it seems that he broke away from a mysterious group and started his current operations on his own. Operations they evidently don't approve of. Is Aihane on his way out already? Will he outwit them? Will a group of people even more dangerous emerge to threaten G.U.?

Just keep reading to find out! Next chapter will be up soon!


	12. The End Game Begins

Timeline Update: Thursday, August 29th

Chapter 12: The End Game Begins

* * *

><p>Something just wasn't right.<p>

Pacing back and forth, Shino chewed on her thumbnail nervously. All of her senses were screaming that something was off here, but no matter what she did she just couldn't pinpoint what it was that was making her so uneasy. Masato had taken Raiden and Nezumiiro and was now on deck as the ship moved steadily towards deeper waters, but she was up in the command center. Under different circumstances she would have been fascinated by the sight of all the computer screens, gauges, radars, and other equipment working autonomously, but right now her mind was occupied by other things. Aura in her new metal body was sitting behind her watching as she paced back and forth, but so far she hadn't said much.

"Something isn't right. This just doesn't feel right," Shino muttered to herself as she stopped and looked out the wide windows. There was no land in sight and they had been at sea for several hours now. The more they traveled the more uneasy she was getting.

"I know Rhodesia did everything she could to help us, but it just seems so... so.. so incomprehensible to me that no one else would notice us travelling through Japan. And yes I know Skeith helped us get on this ship, but it still doesn't make sense that _nobody_ at all has noticed something suspicious," Shino added in a louder tone. Glancing over at Aura she wished once again that the mechanical centipede had a more expressive face. Still it took several more long seconds of fretting and pacing on Shino's part before Aura finally said something.

"You're worried that someone has followed us. Either physically or through other means. Doing so very carefully so they do not attract attention?" Aura asked as the machine's long antennae twitched up and down. Shino nodded slowly and finally stopped pacing.

"I guess maybe I do. I just..." she stopped again and turned to Aura to address her better. "I just think that you should be careful when we finally meet up with this other machine or whatever it is that we're out here trying to meet up with in the middle of the ocean. I think someone is setting us up," Shino said as she started chewing on her thumbnail again.

Aura nodded slowly. "I will keep that closely in mind. I'm sorry to be putting you through this kind of stress, but there are few other choices for me left. For now we must place our faith in G.U. I know they will not let us down," she said softly.

_I hope you're right, Aura. I sure hope you're right, _Shino thought as she looked back out over the ocean.

* * *

><p>"What's the word from the various branches of Anonymous that we know about and have contacted?" Niketas asked as he watched the latest news coming in from South Africa. Reiko pushed her glasses up higher on her nose and accepted a folder from a nearby aide.<p>

"One thing they are especially good at is drawing people's attention to a particular subject. Right now plenty of people are out in force on social media and independent news sites spreading the rumor that a hacker in control of some 'highly developed A.I. units' has attacked various city systems throughout South Africa as a show of force or as a message," she informed him as she scanned the report in her hands. "Naturally there are some looking to confirm this information and to determine where precisely the attack came from," she added and closed the folder.

Niketas nodded at that information, but kept his eyes on the screen.

"Good. We'll let them take care of that. If they find anything concrete they won't hesitate to shout it to the world. Local authorities and military are the only one's in a real position to deal with the aftermath in South Africa. Magus says he's almost finished with his upgrade that will allow them to determine whether or not an A.I. has been infected by Aihane's slave system so we need to concentrate on that. He also says he's prepared another upgrade that will protect A.I.'s who are clean from being infected in the future. Right now those upgrades are our top priority and I want them both finished in the next 24 hours. Give Magus whatever resources he needs to finish the job as quickly as possible. Rhodesia and Kaoru are on their way back from their tour across the Middle East and we have a group of American soldiers being flown in from a mission in Egypt. Sentou and Akira will escort them here and I want them debriefed as soon as possible. The information they have could be vital in helping us to understand just what Aihane is up to. We already know he's behind the situation there, but we need to figure out why," Niketas ordered and Reiko nodded and hurried off to do as he asked.

A few seconds later Ryou walked up and quietly stood beside him. His red eyes were practically glowing in the dim lighting.

"Iori contacted me earlier today with a lead. Skeith and Macha both followed the information and found a hit that we think you'll find very interesting," Ryou said quietly and Niketas glanced over at him and then scanned the room. Dozens of people were here in the central control room working hard or keeping tabs on the situation in South Africa. There was no need to alarm them. With a slight gesture, Niketas motioned for Ryou to go ahead and he followed behind the Epitaph User as they exited the control room and stopped just outside the security door.

"After looking up more information about Borislav Cedomir we examined any and all close associates he has now or had in the past. We uncovered a group of people who were all working partners with Borislav at some point. Skeith says that Aihane's current actions don't fit in with the behavior of the rest of these people. Also he says that Aihane's more recent actions with us and in The World have all been done alone and every time we've spoken to him it has always been him who takes responsibility. Early guesses say that he's broken away from this group and is going about his current actions on his own," Ryou said as Niketas listened.

A frown pulled at the Russian man's lips as he considered that.

"Kuzma Lavrenti? Was his name one of those you uncovered?" Niketas asked and when Ryou nodded he cursed to himself and crossed his arms. "This is not good. Not good at all. If he and his group are involved then this is far worse than Rhodesia and I could have ever predicted," he said heavily as Ryou glanced around to make sure no one else was listening in on their conversation.

"Why? Who are they? I've never heard of them, but after looking up information on them even Skeith seemed spooked by it," he asked and Niketas gave a grim laugh.

"They are, quite simply, the Masters of Technology as they call themselves. They are not just a group of old men and women. They have quite literally created some of the greatest forms of technology currently in use today. They don't just do commercial work for businesses and profit. They also work privately on military technology for various governments around the world. They've also created cyber networks and security systems for the greatest spy networks in the world. Both legal and illegal I might add. At least 70 percent of the technology G.U. currently employs and uses was originally thought up or directly created by one of these people. Or by one of the companies under their control," Niketas explained as he ran a hand through his hair.

Ryou looked back towards the security door and considered that information for a while as Niketas grumbled and cursed to himself in Russian.

_So what he's basically saying is that we're screwed. Really, really screwed, _Skeith inserted and Ryou silently agreed with him.

"So we're already struggling against Aihane and now we figure out that he's basically just a trouble-making rebel from a group that's even smarter than he is?" Ryou asked Niketas finally stopped cursing. The man just nodded but didn't answer.

"Perfect. Just perfect. I guess it's a good thing I'm used to tough odds," Ryou added with a cruel smirk.

Niketas just stared at him for a second before shaking his head.

"We don't have time to sit around. We're going to need Chigusa more than ever right now. Even if the power is shut down and network access is cut off in different parts of the world those machines she created can still operate and we're going to need that advantage," Niketas said as he took a deep breath and stood straighter.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Ryou asked and Niketas nodded slowly.

"I am. Go to Chigusa and tell her to lift the human assault restrictions on all non Assassin G.U. Machines. Tell Innis to hurry up and get out the next upgrade for all of them in the next 12 hours so they can better handle this change. We don't know what this group is up to. They may not approve of Aihane's actions at all, but we can't take that chance and get caught unprepared. We will be ready this time," Niketas ordered.

_I agree. This is not the time to wait around and see what happens,_ Skeith said to him. Ryou nodded and as he took a step back he couldn't help but feel a twinge of anticipation. Aihane had given them about a year to prepare and while things may not have gone the way he expected it didn't change the fact that their time was now up.

* * *

><p>Gone. All of his life's work gone. Aihane had searched all of his computers, but all of the AIDA fragments he had enslaved were gone. Those that had come to help him willingly were gone as well. What few remained had been shredded to pieces. Not destroyed. Not Data Drained. <em>Shredded.<em>

Something very powerful had come here and destroyed everything. Every piece of information that he had. Every contact taken. All of his hacking tools rendered useless along with a taunting message about how behind the times he was. Years he had spent cultivating this plan, working with contacts in various countries, getting in close with the biggest criminals and corrupt government officials in the world and now all of that work was ruined in just a few hours.

It had taken 16 hours just to fly back here and by then everything was already trashed. A note had been stuck to the door which read "time table has been moved up. I recommend you start running." But Aihane didn't run. He may retreat temporarily. He may stop to analyze the situation, but he did _not_ go running off with his tail between his legs.

Another troubling development was that Tarvos, Gorre, and Fidchell were gone too. He didn't know where they had gone or who had taken them, but they had completely vanished. Only Corbenik was left and that wasn't really surprising considering how corrosive his data still was. The damaged Epitaph was clearly worked up but all he could say was broken sentences filled with random nonsense so he was of no help whatsoever.

Grabbing a cigar, Aihane lit it up and puffed on it until he was surrounded by a cloud of smoke. When he'd finally settled down enough to think straight he inhaled deeply and breathed out the smoke through his nose. He could still salvage this. He still had Corbenik left. He would go after Aura now and once he had her under his control he would proceed from there. He knew he couldn't out maneuver Kuzma and his former associates in an outright competition of skill. So he would just have to be faster then they were and he still had the last Epitaph.

They may have greater skills, but they hadn't seen the full extent of Corbenik's abilities yet. No one had. But that was all going to change.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen and they were still chugging full speed ahead through the ocean. Shino didn't know how much farther they had to go. At first she thought that it may be a few days, but then Aura said that they would probably be able to make the transfer late tonight or early tomorrow morning. The Kraken had been traveling towards Japan for some time and had actually been waiting around patiently for quite a while. As a human designed A.I. it was pretty basic in comparison to the ones created by Aura or G.U. so Shino didn't feel too bad about Aura taking over it.<p>

_But what's going to happen to us after this is done? Does Aura just slink off into the ocean to hide from prying eyes while we sit here twiddling our thumbs on this automated ship? _Shino considered bitterly, but then immediately felt guilty. Aura was just doing what she had to in order to survive. Besides if she didn't get away then both her and Masato could very well end up dead.

Sighing heavily, Shino shifted position and wrapped her coat around her tighter. She had found it inside a closet up in the command center and while it was a size too big it was enough to keep her warm and protected from the ocean winds that were whipping across the deck. The dogs were huddled behind her closer to the door. They had already determined that there was no danger so they were not about to come back out unless they absolutely had to. Even guard dogs had their limits it seemed. Masato was standing beside her looking up at the full moon; it was so bright that they could see for quite a distance around them. He had found a coat of his own and now had his hands stuffed inside his pockets to keep them warm. It was a lot colder out then Shino had expected it to be.

A loud splash of water attracted Shino's attention and she leaned over to the side to see around a helicopter that was sitting on the flight deck. In the distance a plume of water was falling back towards the ocean. Moments later a huge wave rose up and crashed back down with a loud roar.

"It's here." Aura rose up and stared off intently into the distance as a very, very large shape moved closer and closer to them. Large waves crested and the water rippled in its wake as it swam closer to them. Masato frowned as he reached down to help Shino to her feet.

"Something's not right..." he said quietly and Shino nodded slowly in agreement. This felt wrong. Very wrong. Behind her the dogs started growling and even Aura dropped her head. The machine's antennae twitched and the long centipede body she was inhabiting began to fidget.

"I'm trying to communicate with it, but it's not..." Aura stopped and hissed suddenly. "Corbenik," she whispered talking a few steps backwards as a long shape came into view and then disappeared underneath the aircraft carrier. "Corbenik is controlling it, but he's completely insane. I can't make any sense out of anything he's saying. Aihane must have used him to take over the Kraken and send it straight here," Aura said as the long machine began to circle underneath them. Masato gripped Shino's hand tighter.

"If he can hack the Kraken then there's a good chance that he has or will send the other machines on this ship after us," Masato said looking around as lights began to come on all around them and the tell tale sign of machines turning on began to get louder and louder. They were also slowing down. It was just light at first but now it was becoming more obvious.

They were in serious trouble. They were alone in the middle of the ocean with no real way of defending themselves.

Aura backed up in alarm as a large shape reared up from the water hissing and throwing water everywhere. It was originally a research machine just meant to take data and monitor the health of the oceans, but someone had clearly modified it. Its serpentine head was filled with sharp fangs and its segmented body was ringed with large fins to help aid its movement through the water. Now it was glaring down at them its fins waving back and forth.

A static crackle sounded through the air before a voice boomed out around them.

"Well, well look what we have here. Masato former carrier of Tri-Edge, Shino one of the Lost Ones, and Aura in a temporary body. Just what I need right now," a slightly accented male voice said as the Kraken leaned closer to them. Its large camera eyes zoomed in on Aura as steam began to curl up from its body. It had to be Aihane.

"I'm afraid I don't have much time to spare here. So you can hand over Aura peacefully, which I highly doubt you'll ever do, or I can used the Kraken to take it by force," Aihane said as the carrier slowed down even more to a low crawl. A loud bang sounded behind them and both Masato and Shino turned around to see the doors behind them slide shut and seal themselves closed.

"You have nowhere to run and I can take control of any of these aerial machines on board if I need to. Are you listening Aura? You got those humans into this mess and if they die then their blood is on your hands. You're coming with me whether you like it or not. The only question is how many casualties there will be along the way."

Aura looked over at Masato and Shino quickly before asking, "If I come with you then you have to promise to let them go without harming them."

Hissing loudly the Kraken's jaws opened and steam hissed out through its mouth.

"Run!" Masato shouted pulling Shino out of the way as the dogs scrambled to move as well. Leaning forward the Kraken shot out a beam of boiling water that struck the deck and sent scalding steam hissing out across it. Some of the water landed on Shino's hand and immediately caused her skin to blister painfully. Unfortunately Nezumiiro had failed to move fast enough and Shino could hear him howl before it was cut short.

"Oh no..." Shino whispered as the steam cleared and the german shepherd's dead body appeared through the steam. Raiden and Mera quickly moved in front of them ready and willing to protect their masters from damage. Quickly Shino reached out and wrapped her arms around both of them to keep them from charging off.

"I am taking Aura and you can pray that I ignore Masato and Shino afterwards. Those are my conditions," Aihane's voice boomed out as the Kraken pulled back slightly. "I don't have much time and I certainly don't have any patience left. Hurry up!" he snapped out.

"All right! All right! Just don't hurt anyone else!" Aura shouted out to them.

"Shino you don't have to do this..." Masato started but Aura cut him off.

"Yes, I do. Aihane is right. It's my fault you are even in this situation. I will not have you two die because of me. While I cannot guarantee that Aihane will leave you alone I highly doubt he will waste time with you once I am gone," Aura didn't sound completely sure of herself but what other options did they have? Shino hesitated but didn't say anything, Aura was right. They could say no and Aihane would kill them or they could say yes and Aihane might kill them anyway.

"Don't worry about me. Aihane will not be allowed to continue on like this. G.U. will take care of him," Aura whispered before her mechanical body clicked across the deck of the aircraft carrier. As she drew closer the Kraken leaned down so they could make the transfer.

Shino had to lean around slightly to get a full view of what was going on. Seconds dragged out into minutes before the machine body Aura had adopted shuddered and collapsed to the deck. Pulling back the Kraken screeched loud enough to make Shino and Masato cover their ears before turning around and diving back down into the water.

Just like that Aura was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Sorry this chapter is short, but I ran out of motivation halfway through it. Although I promise there will be some fight scenes in the next chapter. It's time for Skeith and Corbenik to go at it once again! Will G.U. be able to recover Aura? Will Aihane get away with her? Will Kuzma and the others of his group step in to stop Aihane? Or will something else happen entirely?

It's going to be an exciting chapter I promise you!


	13. If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them

Timeline Update: Saturday September 1st, Sunday September 2nd

**AN:** Some of you readers and reviewers have noticed that things in this story are quickly moving towards their final end and you would be right! I'm not sure exactly how many chapters are left but I'm going to say that there will be about 6 to 10 chapters before this story is over. And I'm going to make sure they are action packed for you! That's not a set in stone number, but I'd say it's somewhere in that area.

Chapter 13: If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them

* * *

><p>Syrakis sensed when the rest of his team was in place. Due to an "unfortunate delay" that came courtesy of G.U. they had yet to be moved out to their assigned positions. However, they didn't have much time left. Syrakis had 48 hours to figure out what was going on here and what Cyrus Corner had to hide before the man left for the Pentagon and he was moved to a different military base. Thankfully his little spy machines were working overtime to gather information and what they found was alarming.<p>

First they had caught a soldier plugging a USB device into the military computer towers down in the basement. After talking to General Mercer the man had sent one of his own men down to retrieve the device, but no one was to talk about it. After a quick examination Syrakis discovered that the device contained a data worm that had quickly infected the server towers that held the storage hard drives for the base. It had then moved through the secure networks to the Pentagon, CIA, FBI, NRA, and other government agencies. Now Syrakis was talking privately with General Mercer even as one of the other RAPTORS received a live update from several of his micro spy insects and relayed the results back to him.

Apparently all it was programmed to do was sit there until it received more instructions.

"Why would a double agent put a worm on our servers that does nothing but sit there? I'm no expert, but I do know that no one puts a hostile program like that on a computer just to have it sit there," General Mercer grunted as he paced back and forth. Syrakis watched him calmly as he sorted through the influx of information and received a new update.

"I maayyyy havvvve an anssswer for youuu in a mommment," Syrakis hissed as he closed his eyes and listened in on the live feed coming from one of his micro spy's. "Turn on yourrr commm deviccce to channel ninnne and keeeep the volume down. Just lisssten," he added and the man frowned but did as he was told and fiddled with the channel on his walkie-talkie.

_"Is everything in place? We will not get another chance at this."_

General Mercer narrowed his eyes when he heard the voice.

"Voice change software," he mumbled as the man continued talking.

_"Has the worm finished infiltration the hard drive towers?"_

_"It has. All I need to do is make a phone call and it will be activated remotely. No one will trace it back anywhere."_

_"And you are aware of what it does? We cannot have it turned on before the surge protectors are deactivated. If so then they will be nothing but a useless string of numbers. This is part of a concerted effort. We cannot afford to mess up because you or someone else got a little... trigger happy. This worm will only work once."_

_"Don't talk to me about mistakes. How long have I been sitting here waiting to be informed of the next phase while that giant metal dinosaur walks around like it owns the place? I've been sitting around here twiddling my thumbs so don't come down on me about doing my part. I'm doing nothing but stalling for time over here. I'll be ready whenever you people decide to get on the job and move forward with the plan."_

_"We will be ready in exactly six hours. You will be called when we are ready."_

There was a distinct click and then a dial tone as the call ended.

Syrakis hummed to himself as General Mercer shut off his walkie talkie.

"Whenn you get a virusss what doessss it uusually do?" Syrakis asked calmly and the man looked up at him and thought for a moment.

"Usually they slow down your computer. Maybe record your keystrokes to fish for passwords and personal information," he said realizing how dangerous this could be. Syrakis bowed his head in agreement.

"Yesss, howwwever in thiss innnstance it iss safe to preesume that it is the first ratherrrr than the latter," Syrakis stated and lifted his head as several sharp chirps drifted through the air. "It appearss thisss is parttt of a connncerted efffort. They do nnnot meann to sssteal inforrmation, but to stttop it," he tilted his head and continued to listen to the distinct calls from the other side of the base. One of the other RAPTORS was calling to him. When he looked back down he could tell by the slightly confused look that General Mercer wasn't really following. Sighing, Syrakis clarified himself. "Whattt causssess a haardd drivve to crasssh?" he questioned and the man frowned and considered that.

"Vibration, heat, static electricity, power surge..." he stopped at the last one and cursed. "That man Cyrus Corner was talking to said this was part of a concerted effort. Those hard drives contain a lot of sensitive information so in the event of a storm or large surge of electricity the surge protectors take care of it and everything transfers to a backup generator instantly. There is also program in place that makes copies of all the information and sends it through high speed broad band connections to another secure location. It will stay there until it has been detected that there is no more danger and then it is dumped. That location is _not_ equipped to hold data for long amounts of time" Mercer said as he considered the matter. "However, it only works when it receives notice that the surge protectors have done their job. If someone tampers with the surge protectors and a large enough influx of electricity comes it could crash all the hard drive towers. It may not wipe out all the data we have, but it would take weeks, months probably to recover everything," he put his hands on his hips as Syrakis bobbed his head again and let out a piercing whistle that was answered back by low barks from several directions.

"My teeam is in placcce. Weee willl not alloww Cornner to esscape thiss place when he tries to leaavve. You mustt get your mennn insside to those surge protecctors. Worrrd will be sentt to the ottther branches of government," Syrakis stated as he turned back to the General.

"And what if they don't believe you? I heard it myself and I'm not sure I believe you. So maybe your idea proves right and we keep the information here protected; criminal reports, test results, military records, tribunal cases, and more. But what if the other agencies don't believe this and do something to prevent it?" Mercer questioned. "This kind of collapse across so many different agencies... the government couldn't handle that kind of failure," he said warningly but Syrakis simply snorted and tapped his claws on the ground.

"Theirrr problem. I was assignned here and I will proteect here unless commanded otherwisse. Thhis is ppart of a larger pllan. The man in chharge sees chaaos. A disttracttion is whhat this is," Syrakis informed him as he let out a few chirps back to the other RAPTORS as instructions. "These are the acctions of a very dessperate mann. We mmusst hold our placce here and hoope the other brancches follow suit. Doing sooo will allow my masterrs to carry out theirrr own operatttions without distraction," he added before shifting impatiently. "Enough. Youu get in place. Do your partt and I willl do minnne," the tall machine gave him a stern look before darting off and disappearing into the night.

* * *

><p>"Why did we have to fly here straightaway after working tirelessly with Magus?" Ren asked just barely stifling a large yawn as she rubbed her eyes. The second they were done helping Magus finish the new program to help them detect Aihane's slave devices they had been approached by Niketas and told to pack their bags. Now they were sitting curbside at an airport somewhere in London waiting to be picked up. Kisho was busy playing a game on his smart phone and didn't bother to look up as he answered her in a bored tone.<p>

"For the past few weeks we've been helping Karim to figure out what is the cause of the virus on his home computer system. He not only works in the oil business but he also has developed technology that makes it far easier and safer to pull oil out of the ground and refine it. Not too long ago he made a contract with G.U. and the oil we get from him goes into the private factories Chigusa uses to create her machines. The oil lubricates the automated robots that created all of the Assassin's and the other machines as well," Kisho stated as he continued playing his game. "Apparently it's part of an operation by Syrian business agents who are trying to keep the man and his family distracted while the virus searches his computer records. If the virus can pick up enough information traces then they will be able to piece together where the oil Karim gives to G.U. is actually going," he said as his smartphone beeped and whistled.

Ren growled and tried to snatch the phone away, but Kisho held it out of reach and continued playing. Settling back in her seat she crossed her arms.

"Okay so why are we here? Other than the fact that this virus is consistently hiding itself in different programs and is extremely difficult to pin down?" she demanded as she slumped down against the bench.

"We are here to make sure the virus does it's job."

"...excuse me?"

Kisho sighed and finally paused his game long enough to look up at her. "You heard me. We don't know who exactly is behind this other than the fact that they are from Syria. Sure we know they are in league with Aihane but as for who exactly is working with him that's another matter. We need the virus to do its job which means planting the information it needs. I've already sent an attachment to Karim and confirmed that he downloaded it to his computer. On the surface it's a simple word document, but inside the code is a program that will go into his financial records and write in the location of the main G.U. robotics facility," Kisho informed her and then added, "The next time Karim updates his financial records the information will appear and he has called me to confirm that he already did this. Once the virus picks up the information and we are sure the businessmen are fully informed about our private and fully automated and unmanned robotics facilities we will contact Niketas. He will make sure an ambush is set up," Kisho said and Ren settled down at that information.

It wasn't like the information they were going to plant was untrue. All of the facilities Chigusa had built or those that she had purchased and rebuilt were indeed unmanned. Instead they were guarded by machines with the main and most important building being personally guarded by an Assassin who took his job very seriously. Anyone who tried to force or sneak their way in would be met with a very nasty surprise. That's why they were going to plant its precise and exact location on one of Karim's computers. Then sit back and wait for the trap they set to be sprung.

"Okay that sounds better, but why aren't they here yet? People watching is getting old," Ren grumbled as she pulled a piece of fuzz out of her neon green and blue hair. Kisho glanced up at her action and eyed her hair.

"You're going to go bald dying your hair like that and I personally look forward to seeing it," he commented as he moved onto the next level of his game. Sticking her tongue out at him Ren reached over and started riffling through his purse. Correction. His "man bag" and pulled out a large lollipop. Unwrapping it she balled up the paper and flicked it at his head before sticking the lollipop in her mouth.

"Says the pot calling the kettle black."

"I have highlights my dear. Not a full neon light show on my head."

"Oh yeah? Well at least I don't..."

"Excuse me."

Ren tilted her head all the way back and saw a woman with a black and gold-edged hijab staring down at her.

"My name is Aaliyah. My husband Karim is waiting in the car just over there. You are the computer specialists G.U. sent to help us aren't you?" Aaliyah asked in smooth English as Ren jerked around with her knees on the bench. Switching to English she greeted the woman. The very beautiful woman.

"Right. Sorry about that. Name's Ren. Nice to meet you," Ren held out her hand and Aaliyah shook it, but simply nodded to Kisho who had slipped his phone into his pocket and was now standing up. Bowing slightly, Aaliyah turned and gestured to a mid-sized black car that had pulled up alongside the curb.

"Grab your bags and we can be on our way. I understand that time is of the essence right now," she said as Ren slung her duffel bag over her shoulder and grabbed a smaller suitcase. Kisho grabbed his single large suitcase and they headed over to the car. After everything was loaded into the trunk Aaliyah motioned for Kisho to take the front seat next to a man in traditional Middle Eastern robes who was evidently her husband. He was sitting there with a frown on his face, stroking his beard, but now he looked up and placed his hands back on the steering wheel.

"Welcome. Please have a seat and we'll be on our way back to our house," Karim said with a polite nod as Aaliyah and Ren slid into the back seat. Moments later they had pulled out into the main flow of traffic and started driving away from the airport. "It's going to take us over an hour to get back so if there is anything you would like to know then please feel free to ask," Karim said as he glanced into the rearview mirror. "We have a separate cottage that you be staying in during your time here. Do you know how long you will be staying?" he asked glancing over at Kisho.

"As long as it takes for us to make sure your so called business partners have fallen into our trap and have been apprehended. However, I'm hoping that it won't be more than a few days. The information they need is already there and we are coming under the guise of computer specialists who will take care of your software problems. They'll want to act fast on the information they have since I highly doubt they are anything more than just messengers. They'll be contacting someone else to do the ground work. Once we're sure those operations are in place we'll make a few calls of our own and we'll be out of your hair," Kisho said as he flipped his hair back over his shoulder. Karim nodded and his hands tightened on the steering wheel.

"And you're sure my family will be safe? This will not affect them?" Karim asked tersely and Ren leaned forward with her hands on the back of the passenger seat.

"Your family won't even have to lose sleep over it. So far all the evidence shows that you honestly don't know what's going on and that you don't suspect them at all. Conclude this deal with them and they will have no reason to suspect you. Of course they'll be in jail when they receive the notice that you have been made aware of their deception by the local authorities and will not be coming through on your end of the bargain, but that's besides the point. To them you are an unsuspecting oil baron who thinks he just has a bad virus on his system. As long as you maintain that illusion there will be no problems," Ren assured him.

Kisho nodded and held up a hand, "However if it would make you feel better I'm sure we can arrange for one of our machine's to stay and keep watch over your family after we leave. One that is able to take action while still remaining discreet and otherwise unnoticed," he promised and Karim relaxed at those words as he stopped at a light.

"Yes. Yes I would like that very much. I'd rather be safe than sorry especially when it comes to my children," Karim said as his body relaxed somewhat. Aaliyah had been quiet but now looked over and her eyes strayed up to Ren's brightly colored hair.

"And what part do you play in all of this?" Aaliyah asked as her eyes fell down and met Ren's.

"While Kisho is checking your home system for the virus to see if it has done its job, I'll be upgrading the security and firewalls on all your home computers, laptops, cell phones, anything and everything that can connect to the internet. That includes your kids stuff. G.U. wants to make sure that if you are targeted by another virus again it will be caught and disable before it can come anywhere near your hardware or your kids," Ren said confidently and the woman hummed appreciatively.

"Thank you very much. We greatly appreciate your thoroughness especially in regards to our children," Aaliyah said gratefully and Ren grinned back at her.

"No worries ma'am just doing my job, but if there's anything else I can do to help you then just let me know and I'll make myself available for it," she said warmly. A second later she realized Kisho had flipped down the visor in the front seat and was staring into the mirror at her.

"What?" Ren demanded in Japanese as Kisho raised an eyebrow at her.

"You might want to dial it back a little there my dear sister. You're gay is showing," he said and flipped the mirror up before she could respond. Ren wanted to slap him upside his head, but instead she just settled for shooting daggers at it. She made a point of not talking to him for the rest of the trip.

* * *

><p>Rhodesia sighed heavily a she stared at the report in front of her. They had just gotten back when Niketas ambushed her in the hallway and gave her a full update on the Aihane situation. She was already tense and uncomfortable from the hours she'd just spent on a plane and now this?<p>

"What need I after this is nice long vacation," Rhodesia mumbled as Kaoru stepped up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She closed her eyes in contentment as he began massaging her aching shoulders and neck. "What now? Barely holding off Aihane were we. Now his old comrades too? Don't get paid enough for this do I," she grumbled as she pulled out a picture of Kuzma Lavrenti and stared at it. Tilting her head back she looked up Kaoru.

"Any thoughts have you?" she questioned him and he hummed but didn't answer right away.

"Let's examine what we know so far. We don't know that his old comrades will help him; it may be just the opposite. Instead of acting rashly I think we should contact them directly. There is a special robotics exhibition taking place in Osaka all week starting tomorrow. A Chinese woman by the name of Xing Bei will be there giving a demonstration of a new technology she developed and a quick internet search will show that she has close ties to Kuzma Lavrenti. I say we send Ryou and Chigusa there personally to speak with her. Instead of assuming the worst about them why don't we go with the best case scenario instead? Their actions in the past leads Niketas to believe that they are not or would not be on board with the way Aihane is handling matters right now with the AIDA Fragments and the stolen Epitaphs," Kaoru stated as Rhodesia dropped her head and considered that.

"'The enemy of my enemy is my friend?' Ask for help and join forces are you suggesting?" Rhodesia said curiously and picked up another picture of a stern looking Chinese woman.

"It certainly wouldn't hurt us to try," Kaoru pointed out as he stopped and leaned forward. "After all G.U. has just been recognized as an official agency with full legal authority over all artificially created lifeforms. Whether its development, creation, placement in civil or military operations, or enforcing privacy and other cyber laws upon them. That is _our_ responsibility now. So if this group... these Masters of Technology are indeed interested in stopping Aihane then the prospect of doing so with full legal freedom internationally might prove to be very, very appealing. I highly doubt they need our resources, but having the full weight of an internationally recognized legal agency along with our machines and manpower would certainly help in their efforts," he said lowering his voice. A smirk crawled across Rhodesia's lips as the thought about his proposal. A moment later she jumped up from the chair and twirled around.

"Remembering why I like you so much I am right now," Rhodesia said as she kissed him on the cheek and grabbed the papers on the table. Then she grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the door. "Tell Niketas and Epitaph Users this we will. Excellent plan of action this seems to me," she said with growing excitement as she pulled him out of the room and hurried off to find the others.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>So right now Aihane is basically running scared. His old comrades are after him right now and he know's full well how smart and dangerous they are. He's planned this out for years and now it is all falling apart in front of him.

He's basically throwing everything he has into motion to try and throw off his pursuers. Of course that's not going to work. We have a prophecy from Fidchell to fulfill after all!

However, it seems G.U. has some plans of their own that they want to put into motion. Let's see how things develop because next chapter Ryou and Chigusa are going off to meet Xing Bei one of Aihane's old croonies! Until next time everybody!


	14. Decide Your Fate

Timeline Update: Monday September 3rd

Chapter 14: Decide Your Fate

* * *

><p>Yet again Ryou was woken up hours before the sun was due to rise.<p>

4:06AM

"Oh you have got to be kidding me..." Ryou groaned as he stared at his alarm clock. "Is it Niketas? What does our evil mastermind want now?" he grumbled out loud as he rolled out of bed.

_Actually Innis is the one calling the meeting this time. She felt that you would want to be there when... _Skeith paused for a moment before changing his words. _Azure Kite is fully recovered and has been helping G.U. with minor security bugs. Now he explains that he has had much time to think and he wishes to sacrifice himself to aid us in our quest to save Aura, _he explained as Ryou hopped around trying to get some pajama pants on. He was so shocked by the words that he slipped and crashed to the ground. Grabbing the edge of the bed, Ryou hauled himself back up and stared at the computer station across the room as his mind registered those words.

"Whoa, whoa wait a minute! We help him out and now he want's to off himself for the greater good?" Ryou demanded as he blinked and stood up.

_Azure Kite is a security and maintenance program. He was created to locate data anomalies inside The World and either repair or eliminate them. While he has been doing that for G.U. his purpose and reason for being created is technically over and has been for some time. If I could defeat him well before reaching my final form or even my third form then how could he possibly stand up against Corbenik and Aihane? _Skeith calmly reasoned out. Ryou scowled at the memory of how much trouble the Azure Knights had caused them before but didn't interrupt.

_Human's may attach sentimental value to this moment, but I can assure you that Azure Kite carries no such feelings. He was created to protect Aura and The World and that is it. While he is far from stupid he is certainly nowhere near the intelligence level of myself or the other Epitaphs. Even the basic A.I. programs Innis has created are more advanced than he is in some ways. Now that both of his objectives are gone I'm honestly surprised that he hasn't self-terminated already, _Skeith said ambivalently.

"You're so generous it's touching," Ryou grunted as he looked around and put on a white t-shirt. He could feel his partner's amusement.

_The point is that Azure Kite is seeking to fulfill his primary objective of protecting Aura. If this is his way of doing so then who are we to stop him simply because of your human sentiment? _Skeith asked him and Ryou pulled his shirt down and quickly objected.

"Hey I'm not getting emotional over anything. I don't even know what's going on here," Ryou fired back as he reached down and grabbed the black and red slippers sitting near the end of his bed. They were an anniversary gift from Chigusa to mark one year of them dating and they had Skeith's name and new title in kanji on them.

_Azure Kite knows how to find Aura._

_That_ got Ryou's attention.

"Okay now I'm definitely listening," he said raising an eyebrow as Shira twisted and purred around his ankles. Frowning tried to ignore the cat as he thought. The remaining Epitaph users had been informed of the fact that Rhodesia had been helping Masato and Shino. Also Skeith had helped provide a distraction so that they could board an aircraft carrier and get away from Japan just the other day. The plan was for Aura to transfer to a different robot body and hide out offline. Rhodesia hadn't been very specific and the information they had found out about Aura had only come just before Skeith's involvement in her planned operation. Although it was irritating to know the woman had been sitting on this kind of information for who knows how long he really couldn't blame her for it. Especially once they had been updated on the fact that the operation had gone wrong. Aihane had discovered their location and taken Aura.

_Are you listening to me? _Skeith demanded and Ryou blinked and pulled his attention back. Obviously his partner could tell that he wasn't, but Ryou still tried to cover it up.

"Of course I am," he replied as he waited for the Epitaph to finish.

_Like I was saying Azure Kite has a special connection to Aura and a tracking program was written into his code when she created him. Just a few hours ago Azure Kite managed to communicate that he had picked up Aura's trail again. Rhodesia says that Aihane must have brought her back into the network again. However if he attempted to track her down now then Corbenik would eat him alive in mere seconds the way he nearly did with Macha. Azure Kite wants me, Innis, Magus, and Macha to Data Drain him and absorb his code completely. Doing so will integrate his tracking program into our own data. Then Innis will be able to lead us to Aura and it's assumed to Aihane as well, _Skeith explained as Ryou threw a black robe on and hurried to the door. Most people were sleeping now and even if they weren't he wasn't really concerned about what they thought of his current state of dress.

"Well let's get on with it then. This will definitely help us. We can't leave Aura in Aihane's grasp for any longer then we absolutely have to. There's no telling what he'll do with her," Ryou admitted as he shut the door and quickly headed down the hallway to the elevators. It wasn't until he was in the elevator that he heard a small 'meow' down by his feet. Looking down he saw his cat Shira calmly sitting there at his feet staring up at him. Ryou was already running behind so he didn't want to return to his room and put her back.

"Fine you can stay but if you get lost then you'll just have to wait for someone else to find you and bring you back," Ryou warned as he reached down to pick up his cat.

When the elevator stopped Ryou stepped out and hurried down the carpeted hallway. Finally he arrived at the right room and he opened the door and slipped inside. Everyone else was already here. Tomonari had been released from the hospital and was now sitting one seat away from Reiko who was frowning and had her arms crossed. Rhodesia was sitting next to Kaoru as expected and Chigusa was next to him talking animatedly about something. Stifling a yawn, Ryou walked over and took a seat next to his girlfriend. Everyone but Niketas was still in pajamas of some sort. Also sitting at the table were Sentou and Akira the original Kite and Blackrose. Ryou was surprised to see them here. Sure they were dothackers at one time, but now they were just body guards. Still he could understand them being included in this.

"Does he ever wear anything other than a freshly ironed suit?" Ryou muttered as Shira settled down in his lap.

"I doubt he _owns _anything other than a suit," Chigusa said with a small laugh as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Even with his trademark sunglasses on the sharp look Niketas gave both of them could be felt across the table.

"Are you ready? Or would you like to gossip about me some more?" Niketas asked sourly and Ryou couldn't resist the urge to smirk at him.

"Nice to see you too this fine morning. Did you get enough sleep?" he asked innocently and the scowl on the Russian man's face deepened even more.

"If we're all ready then we should get on with it. I'm sure Azure Kite would like us to go through with this so we can start finding Aura as soon as possible," Reiko interrupted before the two men could get into it.

Niketas grunted and waved to the headsets sitting in front of them.

"Lets get on with this. The Epitaphs are the ones who will be taking over today. We are just here as observers," Niketas said as everyone lifted their headsets. They weren't strictly necessary for the Epitaph User's but since they were here they might as well use them. "Skeith, Innis, Magus, and Macha will all use Data Drain on Azure Kite. They will absorb his information and the program which allows him to track Aura. Unfortunately Azure Kite will not survive this ordeal, but he is well aware of this fact and is prepared for it. Once the process is complete you will be dismissed for a few more hours of sleep. Then we will meet back in the lower levels at nine o' clock am sharp where we will begin our operation to track Aura. Ryou and Chigusa however will be traveling to the robotics convention taking place in Osaka immediately after this meeting as there is no more time to waste," Niketas said and Ryou groaned and rubbed his eyes at that announcement. So much for going back to bed and leaving for Osaka later on.

"Now let's begin," Niketas said and everyone put on their headsets.

* * *

><p>Skeith glanced down and watched as his partner appeared in the online space along with the rest of the Epitaph users. He slid his gaze over to Sentou and Akira but quickly dismissed them; hopefully their sentiment over the past would not interfere with what they had to do next. The sooner they got this over with the sooner they could start tracking Aura. Azure Kite had been here for some time already and was clearly getting impatient. His biggest directive was to protect Aura and the longer he stood around here the farther away she got.<p>

Flexing his clawed hands, Skeith stood up from his crouched position and looked to his fellow Epitaph's. All of them nodded and their hands glowed as they prepared to use Data Drain.

"We're ready. Are you prepared for this?" Macha asked smoothly and Azure Kite rolled his eyes up to her and nodded simply. Dropping her head Macha bowed to him and said, "We thank you for your sacrifice. I promise you we will find Aura and bring her back safely."

Azure Kite grunted and closed his eyes as Skeith, Innis, and Magus echoed the sentiment.

Lifting his hand Skeith fired off his Data Drain at the same time the other Epitaph's did. They watched as Azure Kite's data was split apart and began to disappear as hundreds of lines of code streamed back towards each of the Epitaph's and were absorbed by them. It only took a few seconds before the Data Drain assault was complete and Azure Kite was gone.

Skeith closed his eyes as he felt the data being assimilated into his own code. It would take a few minutes for it to finish. His security programs would check it over first and remove any viruses, bugs, or useless data. Anything that wasn't needed or wouldn't provide some kind of improvement would be discarded. Normally this happened separate from the Epitaph's direct control, subconsciously in other words, but it was also possible to override that and take over directly as Skeith was doing now. There was one program specifically that he needed and after a minute of searching he found it and set it as a priority update then left the rest of the data to be assimilated on its own. When he looked back over he realized that Sentou was gone along with Akira. Looks like they couldn't handle it after all.

"It won't take long for the data to be fully integrated into our systems. Magus and I will work on getting used to the update and trying to locate Aura while you and Innis go with Ryou and Chigusa. Xing Bei can be a difficult person to impress and rarely if ever forms partnerships with other companies. More often than not she simply takes over the company and runs it the way she prefers. No doubt her first reaction will be to reject our offer and simply work together with Kuzma and the others of their group to take down Aihane. It is your job to step in and convince her otherwise if Ryou and Chigusa fail to do so," Macha reminded them as she sent two video files to him. "The first is a recording from my fight with Corbenik. The second is video that was recovered from the final moments of The World when you, Skeith, were fighting against Corbenik. You already have files and news reports confirming that what happened during my fight with him was not an isolated incident. If this doesn't change her mind then nothing will. Corbenik is not to be underestimated," she added as a warning and Skeith nodded as he accepted the video files.

"Then let's get started. Aihane is getting desperate and with a wild card like Corbenik still under his control there is no telling what he'll do with an Epitaph like that under his control. Or even worse what could happen if he lost control of Corbenik," Macha commented and Skeith narrowed his eyes.

_I hadn't considered that. What would happen if Corbenik got out? Like a wild animal let out of its cage? Who knows what kind of damage he could cause online and off, _Skeith thought as more files were sent to him. Train tickets and a schedule for the robotics convention. It would take close to three hours to get there by train so they needed to get going.

They _needed _Xing Bei on their side and they needed to stop Aihane as soon as possible before he started causing more chaos like he did in South Africa.

* * *

><p>"Wait so G.U. already has representatives here?" Ryou asked as they walked through the crowded convention hall. All around them machines hummed, flickered, danced, and rolled around showing off their abilities to fellow engineers. Drones flitted and darted back and forth overhead as other robots answered questions and interacted with both average convention goers and other's who worked in the field of computer programming or science.<p>

Chigusa nodded as she looked around with the enthusiasm of a kid in a candy store.

"Yep. News stations around the world have been buzzing with the news that G.U. Was appointed as the head off all preexisting artificially intelligent life systems around the world whether they be online or offline and in control of robotic bodies. The fine print defines that as any A.I. created by Aura and any A-Life system that G.U. creates in the future. They are subject to our rules first and foremost regardless of whatever local rules exist. Of course a lot of people are unhappy about this, but most people are waiting to see how this is going to change things and how much," Chigusa said as she stopped at a table that was filled with tiny machines on wheels that swarmed back and forth communicating and working together to complete different tasks.

A.I.'s and A-Life systems were great for a lot of tasks, but they were not a dime a dozen and their services did not come cheaply either, especially now that G.U. had taken over. Before the WNC could recode them send them out wherever they wanted, but now that was the exclusive right of G.U. and Ryou knew that Innis as far more picky. She could be rather ambivalent about A.I's created by Aura, but she was extremely protective when it came to those she had created herself and she had a special bond with all her A-Life systems. There were some created by humans and the number of them was increasing, but they lagged well behind the ones created by Innis and Aura.

"We have a few representatives here to answer questions and basically do some public relations. I have a few A.I. and A-Life controlled machines here to show off as well," Chigusa said as she pointed straight ahead of them. "That area is all the way at the other end of the convention hall and Innis says that it is getting a huge amount of attention here and has been featured on the news as well," she added as they slid past a crowd that had gathered around a man who was showing off a new line of bionic limbs to help amputee's.

_One of the drones has spotted Xing Bei near the G.U. stand watching a demonstration carefully. Now is the perfect time to go over and introduce ourselves, _Skeith informed them as a camera drone in the shape of a miniature helicopter zipped in a circle around their heads before shooting off to some other part of the convention hall. Chigusa must have received the same message because she grabbed Ryou's hand and pulled him down the aisle.

"Follow me I know where it's at," Chigusa said leading him through the crowded hall. It took about 10 minutes for them to work their way through the people and machines wandering around. However it was obvious when they had come to the G.U. panel because it was easily the biggest and most crowded area in the entire convention hall and that was saying something.

Standing in the middle was a huge robot in the form of a golden eagle. It was easily seven feet tall and currently had its wings folded. Each artificial feather was visible and the large optical cameras that functioned as it eyes shifted and zoomed in an out as it looked around at the crowd. A woman in a suit was standing beside it describing some of its features to the crowd of eager people.

"Over there," Ryou said as he pointed to an older and very stern looking Chinese woman in a black suit who in turn was flanked by two women who looked like they could easily fold a man twice their size into a piece of origami. Chigusa nodded and leaned closer to him.

"Stay here and keep an eye on her. I've got an idea," Chigusa whispered and squeezed his hand before stepping forward and slipping through the crowd until she got to the front. Immediately the eagle turned and let out an ear-piercing screech and bobbed its head happily. Laughing at that Chigusa hurried over and gave the towering machine a hug as it bent its head down and rubbed its beak up and down her back. There were plenty of scattered "Awwww's" from the crowd as Chigusa shook hands with the woman presenting and turned to the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming today! My name is Chigusa and I too am a part of G.U. We believe that machines should not work for us, but work with us. That we should all be equal partners in our endeavors. Only then will we be able to create the best possible future for ourselves. A.I.'s in particular are created to work with people and they have the same potential to form friendships and attachments that we do. They can also be rather temperamental so try not to make them angry because they have perfect memories and they will hold a grudge against you," Chigusa said and the crowd chuckled in response.

"How do you pick names for them? What's that one called?" someone from the crowd asked and Chigusa motioned to the machine beside her.

"Why not ask him yourself? He's perfectly capable of answering your questions," she replied taking a step back as the eagle lowered its head to stare at the woman who had asked the question.

Glancing over to his left, Ryou saw that Xing Bei and her bodyguards were not only still watching but had moved closer. Definitely a good sign. The woman who had spoken hesitated for a moment before visibly summoning her courage and speaking up.

"What's your name? How did you get it?"

The eagle tilted his head back and forth in a very birdlike manner as it considered that question.

"My name is Virga. I chose it myself after a type of cloud known as Nimbostratus Virga. I thought it rather apt since I am designed to fly and gather atmospheric data," he stated as his long artificial wing feathers shifted and twitched. Chigusa nodded and patted Virga affectionately.

"While there is plenty that A.I.'s can do online they can be even more helpful. Not only will Virga be able to transmit atmospheric and oceanic information back to weather stations around the world, but he can comment on them and add his own observations which is something an ordinary drone can't do. Imagine having an A.I. integrated jumbo jet. It would be able to tell you exactly what is going on if an electronic or mechanical problem develops. It could even warn or stop a pilot if it see's them making a mistake or overlooking something that could lead to a catastrophic crash later on," Chigusa explained to the crowd as Virga bobbed his head.

"It would also be in the A.I.'s best interest to keep the plane safe and up in the air. We can drop our mechanical bodies for self-preservation if necessary but it is a highly unpleasant process. I certainly would like to remain in working order for as long as I possibly can," Virga added as more people got up the courage to ask questions.

"Why should they work with us?" another voice called out, "I mean I'm sure we've all seen movies about machines taking over the world and all that. How do we know we're safe trusting them like this?"

This time Virga spoke up and provided an answer.

"How do I know I can trust humans?" Virga countered with a stern gaze on the man who had spoken up. "How do A.I.'s like myself know we won't be hunted down and deleted the way CC Corp did to Vagrant A.I.'s in the first version of their online game The World? How do we know we won't be subjected to warrantless reformatting or recoding the way the WNC has been doing? How many A.I.'s did they take and forcibly alter unnecessarily?" he shot back and for a moment there was total silence. Virga raised his head proudly and added, "Tell me this. If such actions were to be taken against other human beings there would be outrage worldwide over such harsh measures. Yet for us it goes largely unnoticed and generally accepted as a necessary measure. I for one am grateful to work with G.U. They have clearly defined rules of conduct and they treat me as a being of equal intelligence," he paused for a moment and cocked his head.

"After all a person that feels included, valued, and respected has no reason to cause harm to anyone else now do they?" Virga concluded looking very smug and proud of himself. Sufficiently chastened the man shrugged and backed down.

"So if more people were nicer and more respectful to you then you would be more willing to help them in turn?" another person asked.

"Well wouldn't you? Isn't it easier to work with someone who has first made an attempt to be nice and make things easier for you? I have no reason to hurt anybody and would really rather not do so. Fighting is terribly uncivilized," Virga replied easily and Ryou watched as a few people in the crowd bobbed their heads at that. Looking back he saw Xing Bei nod slowly and turn to her body guards and gesture firmly towards Chigusa.

_Seems to me that she like's what she see's, _Skeith stated as Ryou watched them. _Chigusa's interaction with her machine is definitely winning us some brownie points as you humans say. If you ask me then I think it's time you went over and made your move,_ he pressed as Chigusa continued taking questions from the crowd. Nodding to himself, Ryou walked over and stopped a short distance away from the woman. Far enough away that her bodyguards didn't feel the need to intervene, but close enough that she could easily hear him.

"Welcome to our panel. Are you enjoying the information we have? G.U. is looking for new business partners after all," Ryou said and Xing Bei turned and looked him up and down. Her close-cropped hair gave her an even more intimidating look and her haughtiness was palpable.

"And who might you be young man?" Xing Bei asked with little warmth.

"My name is Ryou Misaki and I am one of the formost members of G.U. and also the partner of Skeith," he answered. Considering how talented and extensive her own business and information networks were it was safe to assume that she knew about the Epitaphs. Upon hearing Skeith's name her face changed from cold detachment to one of great interest.

"Are you now? And her? Is she an Epitaph User as well?" Xing Bei questioned and Ryou nodded in confirmation. "So I can assume that you didn't come here just for PR work now did you?" she added turning to face him head on.

"We came here hoping to talk to you personally because we believe that our interests are now aligned in regards to our desire to apprehend a certain criminal hacker," Ryou responded and Xing Bei's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Really? And why should I bother to listen to you? We do not need the assistance of G.U. to take care of this problem," Xing Bei stated and Ryou knew she was right. Just going by the public information they had pulled on her Ryou knew that she and Kuzma could easily have taken Aihane down just by themselves, not to mention the several others who were part of their group.

"No you don't need anything from us, but it certainly couldn't hurt either. Besides working with G.U. Even if it was just in name only would provide a certain level of... international immunity should your methods be called into question during your attempts to take care of this problem as you described it," Ryou offered with a smirk as he rocked back on his heels. "I mean sure you could continue bribing whatever governments you need to, but that's not going to work forever and it would certainly be easier to let us handle that part of it. Besides we have information on Corbenik that you might find rather helpful," he added and now he could tell that he had Xing Bei's interest.

However, the woman turned around and continued to watch Chigusa for several minutes as she answered questions and demonstrated different pieces and components on Virga's body. It took a lot of self-control for Ryou to stand there patiently, but finally she turned back to him.

"What do you expect to gain from G.U.?" Xing Bei asked instead and Ryou raised an eyebrow at that. He wasn't really worried about being overheard. There was already so much conversation going on already and the other people here wouldn't have much idea of what he was talking about anyway.

"Skeith is my partner. My friend. His dream is to create a world where A.I's and A-Life systems can live freely and without persecution and I can help him do that. I want to help him do that. He's done a lot for me from saving my life to helping me protect my friends. The least I can do is repay the favor," Ryou said honestly. "Besides it sure beats working at a grocery store," he added and this time Xing Bei's mouth twitched up as if she wanted to smile.

"What do you plan on doing to our... 'problem,'" Xing Bei questioned her eyes watching him the way a predator watched its prey.

"We plan on letting the Epitaph's handle that when the time finally comes. This entire business started with them so we believe that its only fair to let them clean up," Ryou responded and he could feel Skeith's hunger for that moment. The Epitaph's were dying to get their hands on Aihane personally. They had a score to settle and they couldn't care less about human justice. When the time came they were going to take the man out himself.

"And what do you want from us? No business deal comes without both sides giving in on something. You must want something from us," Xing Bei said after a moment of consideration.

"We want to be left alone. G.U. works for the Epitaph's not the other way around. They aren't out to save the world or solve world hunger and neither are we. They want freedom for themselves and those under their protection. Anything outside of that is rather irrelevant to them. Assist us in finding and apprehending our problem and we'll take care of him from there. We'll also take care of any legal issues that come up as a result of the methods you use to apprehend him. Then you stay out of our way and we'll stay out of yours. Those are the terms the Epitaphs have for you," Ryou answered and this time Xing Bei did smile although it was a rather cold one.

"A.I.'s do tend to be rather single-minded don't they? And A-Life systems are no different. They can be very loyal and logical, but anything outside of their immediate interest is of little consequence to them," she said crossing her arms. "Me and my colleagues must be there when you punish Aihane and all information you have on him will be turned over to us to use as we wish. That included any and all information on people he has contacted, associated with, or had business dealings with," she said countering his offer.

_Skeith? _Ryou asked not wanting to make the decision on his own. They had tons of information about Aihane when it came to people and organizations he was associated with. Giving that up wasn't something G.U. would be prepared to do. He felt a touch at his arm and looked to see Chigusa standing beside him.

"We'll give you copies of all the information we have and if it's decided that some kind of action should be taken against someone or some organization then we'll discuss the best way to handle it first," Chigusa countered and Xing Bei pursed her lips.

"Bargaining with kids young enough to be my grandchildren," she grunted in a low voice. "Very well. I will discuss those terms with my associates. Wait here and I will be in contact with you within the next two hours," she said and gave them a stiff nod before waving to her bodyguards and strutting off.

"Well that went well," Chigusa said and Ryou grunted and crossed his arms.

"If you say so. We're not out of the woods just yet, but what are we going to do for two hours?" he asked and his girlfriend smiled widely.

"Have you ever met one of my Assassin machines?"

* * *

><p>A large facility rose up from the arid landscape. Vehicles rode in and out transporting parts to and from the factory. An A.I. controlled cargo plane carefully began to taxi down the runway in preparation for takeoff. Sitting on a large rocky ridge a mile away was a large winged dragon. It was a brown and tan Assassin built using the latest carbon fiber and carbon nanotube technology which made for a lighter, but extremely strong and durable body. Huge bat-like wings were half spread and the backs of them were coated so that they were essentially giant solar panels. The solar power then went to electromagnets scattered throughout the machine's body. The resulting electromagnetic field gave it the ability to fly for long stretches of time without exhausting an onboard energy supply and it was far more agile than its large frame might lead one to think.<p>

Tenebris was sitting back on his haunches at the moment and with his forearms he was idly playing with a lizard that had been unfortunate enough to catch his interest. It was barely the size of one of his claws, but he needed something to do while he waited for the call to come in. A small beep alerted Tenebris to the call and he reluctantly allowed the terrified creature to dash off and hide between some rocks. As expected the man wasted no time and launched right into his explanation.

"Ren and Kisho are currently working with their host to upgrade all household electronics with new security software and virus protection. They confirm that the location of your facility was picked up and a caravan is on their way. Feel free to ambush them at any time. Try to leave them alive so they can be arrested and interrogated will you? The local police is aware that G.U. took over the factory there and recommissioned it for robotics. They are not aware of our 'unique' security protocols though so try not to scare anyone to death will you?" Niketas asked his image was projected at the top corner of the machine's vision.

"Of course, sir. We will take care of them straightaway. No time like the present to clean up a few pests isn't that right my dear?" Tenebris looked over to a similar dragon machine behind him. Only she was a pale shade of white and blue. He was made to blend in with the ground and his hide could switch to shades of green if necessary for camouflage. His partner however had a color scheme that would better camouflage her from the sky and she could shift to shades of gray if she was flying against a darker sky. Lucidus opened her eyes and she turned her head slightly, her bright blue optical sensors trained on him.

"Are you ready yet?" Lucidus countered tersely. She was receiving the same call and image that he was after all.

_Never one to dilly-dally,_ Tenebris thought as he turned his green optical sensors back to Niketas.

"We'll try not to break too many bones," Tenebris said as Lucidus spread her wings and took off into the air. Ending the call and closing down the video channel, Tenebris flapped his wings and jumped up onto the air. Lucidus was already spiraling up higher so he stayed closer to the ground where he would be able to land quickly if he felt the need to.

It was time to go to work.

Tenebris and his partner Lucidus were based off of the Epitaph Fidchell. Both of their neural networks interfaced directly with the other machine so they shared the same sight, hearing, and thoughts. They were in perfect harmony at all times and they could tag team any enemy with uncanny precision. However, their biggest asset was also their biggest weakness. If either one of them went down it would cripple the other machine, but the amount of work and planning that it would take to break their bond was extremely remote.

Flying low over the rocky and scrub filled hills, Tenebris stayed in constant awareness of Lucidus' position and plan. She would leave this up to him and come around to strafe the incoming caravan if necessary. It shouldn't be that difficult to stop them and after flying about two miles the line of heavily armored trucks came into view.

A good hit from the hyper sonic weapon in his throat should be enough to give them pause. It was a simple enough weapon. Strong enough to shatter glass and send any human caught in the blast straight to their knees. It interfered not just with hearing, but with balance as well causing nausea and vertigo. With a flick of his wings, Tenebris arched down the ridge towards the caravan. The men inside the lead truck waved and pointed urgently, but it was far too late and any bullets they had wouldn't be very effective anyway. The electromagnetic field surrounding him would cause almost all but the biggest and fastest bullets and projectiles to veer away.

Spreading his wings he hovered in the air and let out a focused blast of sound and pressure that shattered the glass in the truck and sent the men inside diving for cover. One man threw himself out of the vehicle clutching his head with blood streaming from his ears. With the driver incapacitated the truck veered sharply off the road and rocked wildly before tipping over onto its side. The attack had caught the second truck as well and it too rolled off the road and the people within jumped out vomiting and falling to their knees.

_Two down three to go, _Tenebris considered as he flapped his wings to rise higher in the air. He darted forward towards the third oncoming truck and pulled up just before slamming into it. Grabbing onto the front with his back legs he sank his left forearm into the top and reached around with his right to pull the driver and passenger out of the cab. Tossing them to the side of the road, Tenebris pushed off and ignored the truck as it drove down the road before hitting a deep crater in the road and jerking to a grinding stop.

The second to last truck tried to turn out of the way, but it too was hit by a close range blast of Tenebris hyper sonic's causing all four humans inside to pass out. He had to grab the truck with his forearms and physically pull it to the side of the road to keep it from flipping over. When he looked up he Lucidus sitting on top of the last truck looking quite smug. A small cloud of smoke billowed out of her mouth and his nose sensors picked up the chemical trace from the fire powder that fueled her flame. The truck tires had been melted down to the rims and it had simply rolled to a stop.

"Really now you're always so heavy-handed," Lucidus commented dryly as her tail slowly twitched back and forth. A warning growl came from her throat when the truck door opened and just as quickly it slammed shut again.

Tenebris puffed himself up at that less than subtle insult.

"Well it worked didn't it? And their still alive so no harm done," Tenebris said flipping his wings back and lifting his chin proudly. Lucidus tilted her head and pointedly stared past him and he turned around to see several humans still vomiting and others barely able to get up due to the lingering lack of coordination. Turning back he gave her an affronted look. "What? They'll heal. Burst ear drums repair themselves in a few weeks don't they?" he countered and she gave him a hooded look.

"Try two months."

"Close enough."

"Incorrigible machine."

"I love you too, my dear," Tenebris said warmly and she snorted and leaned down to address the humans inside the truck she was on.

"Now listen here. You will stay inside there because if not then you'll end up rolling on the desert floor just like your friends over there with burst ear drums and so dizzy you can't tell which way is up. Or if you insist on being difficult then I can torch you the same way I did those tires which are filling the air with the lovely scent of burning rubber. Either way you will be arrested for this incursion so you can wait nicely or wait with burnt clothes while I press you to the road underneath my claws. What will it be?" Lucidus questioned and then repeated it in Arabic and Farsi. After a moment the window rolled down and several weapons were tossed out of the cabin. Tenebris rolled his eyes and looked away.

"I could have done that too," he mumbled as he scanned the rest of the trucks, but they were all filled with machinery and electronics, not more people. A few minutes later everyone was rounded up and sitting there underneath the gaze of his green optical sensors.

"Well that was rather easy. I was hoping for something more of a challenge," Tenebris said with disappointment coloring his voice. Lucidus was sitting there with her eyes closed once again her wings outspread to soak up the sun. Now she cracked one eye open to stare at him but didn't say anything. Still he picked up on her thought that correcting him on all the ways he was wrong just wasn't worth the electricity it took to speak the words. Tenebris was about to address that less than charitable thought, but the sound of wailing alarms distracted him.

"Oh! Here come the local police! We will address this later one," Tenebris said and Lucidus merely hummed and closed her eye lid again.

The police cars slowed down when they saw the two machines and he nodded to his partner. It was best that they leave now. Threatening humans was one thing, trying to reason with them was quite another. Best to just leave them to round-up the criminals.

"Everything is taken care of on this end Niketas. Although I do recommend sending Death Reaper, Atlas, and Titan to guard the two other facilities. Can't be too careful after all," Tenebris created the voice message and sent it to Niketas as they flew back to the robotics facility.

Just another day on the job.

* * *

><p>AN: So what did you think of this chapter and what happened to Azure Kite? Let me know in your reviews! Also we get to meet two more Assassin's!<p>

I'm going on vacation next week, but I promise I'll try to have this chapter up sooner then I did this time. Thanks for reading everyone!


	15. Like It Was Never Even there

Timeline Update: Monday September 3rd

Chapter 15: Like It Was Never Even There

* * *

><p>Cyrus Corner had been found out and he knew it. General Mercer had put a team in place down with the computer servers on the base and they had captured and arrested three men who had been caught in the act of tampering with the surge protectors. They would be interrogated later on. Right now it was imperative that Cyrus Corner be apprehended. The charges were conspiracy against the government, attempted terrorism, treason, and quite a few others. Syrakis really didn't care as long as the man was successfully arrested.<p>

The only town closest to the base had just a few hundred people, but it also had a small airport with a private helicopter service. There could be no doubt that was where the man was heading.

_This military base is for training soldiers on the ground. Cyrus Corner will be long gone and flying under the radar by the time they can scramble some jets or helicopters from a nearby base to track him down and bring him in. We must stop him and bring him back alive and we must do it quickly, _Syrakis felt the affirmative response from the other RAPTORS as they all ran through the forest. General Mercer and a line of Humvee's were driving down the road leading away from the base and back to the main road but it was a long winding one. Syrakis knew that cutting a path through the thick forest was the best chance they had of capturing the man.

Leaping over a fallen tree trunk Syrakis switched his optical camera's to enhanced night vision. He also had a map of the area pulled up as well as markers showing the locations of all the other RAPTORS and where Corner was estimated to be. Trampling a bush beneath his large feet, Syrakis lifted his head as he ran. The road was coming up closer and one of the RAPTORS reported that Corner's car would be passing through a tight bend with high rock walls on both sides. It was the perfect place to set up a trap.

Increasing his speed, Syrakis did some quick calculations as he ran and quickly sent a plan of attack to the others. Turning sharply he headed straight for the road ready to intercept Corner's vehicle. It was a regular four door sedan, not an armored Humvee and even if it was an armored car it still wouldn't have been enough to keep a RAPTOR from using its claws to rip it open. Angling away from the approaching cliff, Syrakis ran through the tall grass and made a long slide down to the road surface. The headlights of Corner's car were just now appearing around the bend. Suddenly one of the RAPTORS jumped out from the rock wall on the side of the road causing the man's car to swerve sharply. The tires skidded across the road but kept their purchase and the vehicle leaped forward. Syrakis could see the driver furiously turning the wheel as he caught sight of the massive machine standing there in the road.

Crouching down, Syrakis stepped to the side and used his strong forearms to grab the front end of the car and flip it over. Its forward momentum kept it shooting forward and it rolled several times before landing on its roof and crashing against a tree on the left side of the road.

_General Mercer will be here in approximately 3 minutes, _one of the RAPTORS conveyed as Syrakis stalked over and put his foot down on the car. Pressing down he tilted it up and grabbed the other side with his claws to place it back down on all four wheels. Ripping the door off he leaned down and peered inside the vehicle. He didn't bother to initiate an identification scan. Instead he reached in with his claws and forcibly ripped the man out of his seatbelt and dragged him out of the vehicle. The man was already unconscious and even if he wasn't Syrakis wouldn't have bothered to be gentle. His job was to come here, find out who the traitor was, and stop them. If they were stupid enough to do something like this then they could pay a few hospital bills.

Unfortunately this was not Cyrus Corner.

_Inform General Mercer that this is not our man. Clearly he got away earlier, _Syrakis reported as he tapped his claws on the ground. Of course it would be a simple matter for Cyrus Corner to leave earlier in the day while they were busy stopping his underlings from crashing all the hard drives for this base and for a large portion of the United States Military.

Thankfully Syrakis had already planned for this. G.U. had notified him of the fact that the restrictions on non Assassin machines killing humans had been lifted temporarily so he could have just ordered a machine closer to the town to stop the man. However, Syrakis had his orders and he wanted to take care of this himself. In fact he had already put things in place. The tiny drones he had scattered throughout the base had crawled into every moving vehicle on the base and would transmit their exact location whenever he called for it. One of them was currently registering a vehicle skirting the edges of town and heading towards the airport. The airport in town had already been alerted to the fact that no helicopters were not allowed to take off under any possible circumstances.

However, it was extremely unlikely that Cyrus Corner would allow something as simple as that to stop him so Syrakis had already dispatched one of the RAPTORS and ordered them to remain on standby near the airport. Humans weren't always the most observant of creatures and they had failed to notice the loss of one machine, especially since Syrakis himself was the only one who was noticeably different from the rest of his team.

_In position to intercept before he reaches the airport, _the RAPTOR explained and Syrakis picked up the machine's marker moving quickly towards the vehicle.

Time to wrap this operation up.

* * *

><p>The RAPTOR's strides covered several feet of ground with each step so it was all too easy to catch up to Cyrus Corner. Instead of driving through down he was using a dirt road to circle around to the airport. Too little too late. Still the way the man sped up clearly showed that he had spotted his pursuer.<p>

_As if he could get away from me that easily,_ he snorted and swept in behind the vehicle never breaking its stride. The car engine was straining to keep going and it rocked wildly as it dipped and bounced over the dirt road. Really? A car chase? This was just insulting. They were hoping for a lot more action than this, but you couldn't always have what you wanted in life.

Darting forward the RAPTOR used his claws to rip apart the left back tire making the car sink down onto the road. Sparks flew up into the machine's face as the rim hit the road and sent rocks and dirt flying everywhere. Slipping to the passenger side it snapped forward and punctured the front right tire. Losing control Corner veered to the left but stubbornly refused to slow down. If he kept going at this pace he was going to crash and kill himself. Not entirely a bad thing really but they had their orders to capture him alive.

The RAPTOR broke its stride just long enough to slam its body into the car. The force was enough to send the vehicle skidding off the road where it spun several times before flipping over and sliding to a stop in a swirl of dust and burnt rubber.

_That was too easy. G.U. needs to give us a better challenge next time, _it yawned and scratched its leg as a small butterfly floated up from the underside of the car and fluttered over to him. It was a drone. The one that had provided the vehicle's exact location. It settled down on the machine's back as it strode over to the totalled car and bent over to look inside.

"Good evening there sir. Did you need some help?" the RAPTOR asked innocently and the man replied with several loud curses as he extracted himself from the vehicle and tried to crawl away. His voice box was better fitted than the main body so there was no hissing delays.

"I'll take that as a no."

Walking over he stepped on the man's back. Before the man could react the machine's huge toe claw had flicked out and sank down into his back. Screaming in pain Corner collapsed and flailed uselessly at his captor. It was embarrassing to watch.

"You can hold still or I can do even worse to you. We will not kill you, but we are not above maiming you in order to keep you compliant. So please keep struggling. It will only make things more interesting for us," the machine commented before lifting its head and looking around.

_Good job. General Mercer has been informed and is now on his way. Cyrus Corner will be taken in and interrogated. There must be others in the United States government that were colluding with Aihane. This is going to be a major scandal,_ their main body communicated the message to all the units before pausing a moment. _This mission is now logged as completely. Once General Mercer and his troops are in sight come back to join us. Orders from G.U. are to disperse as soon as possible, _Syrakis added and the RAPTOR responded affirmatively but didn't move its foot off Corner's back.

This mission was complete and had been successfully executed. Now all traces of their existence would be scrubbed from the base's computers and all electronic reports about them would be purged as well. By tomorrow morning only those people who had physically seen the RAPTORS would know that they existed. They were intended to be spies after all and this operation had mostly been a test of their abilities. From now on they would be operating far more covertly.

"The United States Government will report that they either uncovered a traitor in their midst or they will take the blame for not acting on the matter fast enough. Either way you're going to be in jail for a very long time," the RAPTOR said sinking his claw deeper into the man's back when he started to struggle again. "I believe I told you not to do that. Next time it'll be your neck and I'm not going to warn you beforehand," he hissed and felt the man freeze beneath his feet. That was more like it.

About 15 minutes later he looked up and spotted the headlights from General Mercer's convoy headed his way. Time to go.

"Sorry but I'm afraid our relationship ends here. I do hope you'll enjoy your interrogation," the RAPTOR quipped before removing his foot from the man's back and darting off into the night. It took about an hour of running to catch up with the pack. The primary Syrakis body was there examining each of them in turn.

"For our nexxt mission we willl be going to the ooold Area 51 military base. We must get to ourr rendevouss point on foot. There we will beee picked upp and transported to a loccation several miles awway from the ssssuposedly abandoned base. There havvve been plenty of reports of personnel and land vehicles transporrtting bombs and long range sub orbital missilesss into the base which is suppossed to be decomissioned. Our job isss to get in onto the base and see whether or nnnot these reports are accuurate. Aihane is thoughttt to be behinnd this," Syrakis explained carefully. "There isss also the channce that Aihane has innnfected some of thehumans and machines there with AIDA. We must not be spottted or seeeen by anyone. The skillss we learned here on thisss mission will be invvvaluable for the nexxt so stay focussed and out of sight," Syrakis informed all of them as his claws twitched in anticipation.

"Let's go!" Syrakis called out as he turned and vanished into the forest. All the other machines spread out around him and broke into a run, their smooth mechanics leaving no sound but the occasional rustle of leaves.

* * *

><p>It was nine o' clock at night when all the power and water systems in London went out. Not just a few lights here and there, but everything and anything connected to the power grid shut down. Within minutes the streets had started to clog with vehicles and become congested. Cell phone towers were down so no calls could be made and no one could get on the internet either. All the radio stations had lost power as well so none of the news stations in London were able to report on what was happening and no one was able to receive the news.<p>

Within thirty minutes surrounding areas had picked up on the event and were spreading news of the blackout.

Fifteen minutes later international news stations had picked up the story and were comparing it to the situation in South Africa.

Three minutes after that G.U. sprang into action and sent out their instructions and contacted Anonymous through every avenue they had available.

Within the next five minutes machines both small and large had sprung into action.

London had received major security upgrades and along with security camera's in every possible location there were also flying quadrotors, small drones with four rotors, that could be immediately dispatched to the sight of an emergency to help watch the situation or aid in helping. They were already in place and were operated by A.I.'s but there were new machines that had been placed in strategic locations all around London and they were operated by A-Life systems.

G.U. had been given authority of all Artificial Life systems and A-Life controlled machines back at the beginning of August. A few weeks later an amendment had been added that gave them control over all non human created A.I.'s as well, much to the anger of the WNC. A few days after that announcement Chigusa had ramped up production at all of their robotics facilities across Europe and had her new model of security machine transported to London.

They were large, mechanical wolves with long limbs and claws. Two smaller arms were lower on their body and were usually kept wrapped around their waist unless they were needed for a more dexterous task. Usually they walked on all fours but they could walk on two as well as climb with frightening agility. They were known as Howlers because of the way they called to each other to summon help or to call the police. All of them were eight feet tall with glowing blue eyes.

_Activation initiated. All power and water systems in London are out. Stay in constant contact with the watch drones and come to the aid of those in trouble. Maintain order as best you can without using force, but if force is necessary then only use as much as is necessary to subdue your target._

The orders came directly from G.U. and all across the city Howler's activated and moved out across the city.

* * *

><p>"Help! Someone help me!" the girl shouting couldn't be more than seven or eight years old but no one was paying her any attention. She had come out shopping with her grandmother but then the power went out. Her grandma had diabetes and she needed to eat something, but all they had was a credit card and all the restaurants and food vendors were all turning away anyone who couldn't pay with coins or banknotes. All she had on her right now was a one pound coin and a few five pence coins.<p>

Frustrated she turned back to her grandmother who was sitting on the park bench holding her head. "Please someone! My grandma needs help!" she tried again but still those few people that were on the street hurried by without stopping. Huffing angrily she turned back to her grandma. "Don't worry I'll get you something to eat," the girl promised as she turned around to see a small flying machine zip down through the trees towards them. It dropped down and hovered a few feet in front of her.

"Hello citizen. Do you require assistance?" a kind but clearly robotic voice asked over the quiet hum of the rotors. The girl hesitated for a moment before nodding and pointing behind her.

"My grandma needs something to eat right away or she's going to get really sick and pass out and if she does I can't get her to a hospital because all the power's out and I can't call anybody," she said with a teary sniff. Circling around her the quadrotor zipped over to the older woman and its single camera flicked up and down as it examined her.

"Understood. Please wait here while I return with the necessary items," the quadrotor responded before lifting higher and flying off down the street and around the corner. Sighing in relief the girl turned around and continued to pace back and forth. Not even five minutes later a quadrotor came zipping back with a water bottle and a wrapped sandwich clutched in a pair of clamps underneath it.

"Here you go citizen. Will that be sufficient or will you require further aid?" it asked watching them with its camera as the girl ran back to her grandmother and handed her the sandwich.

Shaking her head the older woman spoke up, "Thank you very much. I'll be fine. I just need to rest a bit after eating this and then I'll be able to get up and get out of the sun." She sighed in relief as she ate and the machine wiggled back and forth at those words.

"Understood. I will remain with you until you are feeling better. There are many looters out already and fights are breaking out. I will make sure you remain safe, citizen," it stated before retreating to a spot just behind the bench the woman was sitting down on.

"Thank you very much. You're a nice machine," the girl said with a smile and the quadrotor spun around and pulled a little closer to her.

"We are here to help assist in any way possible. We do not want anyone to come to any unneccessary harm, but we hope to have the power on as soon as..." it suddenly flew backwards as gunshot sounded. Screaming the girl dropped down with her hands over her head and turned to see a man holding a gun and pointing it at the quadrotor.

"It's the fault of machines like you that we're in this situation in the first place! Now hand me that water little girl. I've been all over this blasted city and no one will sell me anything without cash!" he shouted his gun shifting back and forth between the two. How he had gotten his hands on a gun at all was a matter for another time. The sound of spinning rotors increased as the quadrotor pulled around in front of the two civilians and buzzed angrily.

"The use of such weapons is forbidden. Please drop the gun or we will have no choice but to use force," it sternly demanded as the man scoffed and pointed the gun back at the small machine.

"Shut up buzz fly. The woman is gonna pass out before she makes it halfway down the street anyway. I need it much more than she does. Go off and direct traffic or something!" he shouted taking another shot only to have the quadrotor dodge it.

"Visual recording confirms that you have fired twice in the presence of civilians. You will now be subdued with force, bound, and dropped off with the nearest police officer until such time as the footage can be reviewed and formal charges made," the quadrotor stated as lights on it flashed blue and then red.

"Next time I'll shoot the woman and...AHHH!" the man screamed as he was suddenly grabbed by his feet and hoisted up in the air where he was left to dangle upside down. The gun was ripped away and within seconds his hands had been tied behind his back and feet bound as well. Then he was unceremoniously dropped back down to the sidewalk.

Standing above him was a huge canine-like machine and it had smaller arms that were retreating back to wrap around its waist. It was a Howler and it stood on two legs and its primary hands had huge claws on them. Reaching down with one of its huge hands it pulled tight a cloth that had been put around the man's mouth to keep him from talking.

"Sorry I'm late. Are both of you okay?" the Howler spoke with a distinct accent as it's eyes shifted to the two humans. Wide-eyed the girl looked up at both machines and then down at the man who was now rendered quite visibly harmless. After a moment she nodded and looked back at her grandma who quickly pulled the girl into her arms.

"I believe we're fine. You nearly gave me a heart attack jumping out like that but I'll be fine. I think now might be a good time to find a place inside to rest," the older woman said in a shaky voice and the quadrotor wobbled back and forth in agreement. Reaching down the Howler picked the man up and tossed him over his shoulder.

"Strange situation this, but no doubt of who's behind it. Not gonna lie though I am chuffed to bits by the whole thing. First time on the job and we're already proving our worth. Love to see the WNC complain about us after this ordeal I rightly would. Well I shall first escort you both to the store across the street and then I shall be on my way to make sure this man is duly charged for his crimes," the tall machine stated with a quick bow before shifting the man so he wouldn't fall off.

"Follow closely now. This is one of the few unclogged streets in the city and you never know when some crazy might come careening around the corner," the Howler stated as the quadrotor went ahead and zipped across the street and signaled for them to come. Holding out his free arm the tall machine allowed the older woman to lean on him as they walked.

"So when I get bigger could I work with robots like you and help protect people also?" the little girl asked as her eyes shifted back to the bound man who was struggling ineffectively.

"Of course. There are plenty of jobs available for inquisitive young minds. We never forget our friends after all," the machine stated with a tilt of his head before gesturing for the two citizens to go ahead of him.

All across the city more machines took to the streets enforcing order wherever they needed to and stopping violence and looters before it could start. Some complained that it was heavy handed and an unnecessary show of power. Others pointed out that whatever else people might think it was working far more effectively then the police were since they were hampered as well by the lack of power. But they weren't the only ones who were running into a problem now that the power was out.

* * *

><p>"What happened? Where'd it all go? Why did it shut off like that?" Hinote Gorre had been complaining like this for the past ten minutes and Fidchell was more than ready to slap her on the head with his fan. Even Gorre Taiga the more mild-mannered half of the Epitaph was starting to get angry with her constant whining.<p>

They had been travelling through the network trying to find a way to reconnect with G.U. when entire sections of the network around them suddenly went black and all connections to them were cut off as the data around them stopped completely. An event like that could only mean a big event had happened. The websites and computer systems weren't related to each other so Tarvos had suggested that a massive power outage had occurred somewhere near London since that was the part of the overall network they had been travelling through so far. A big enough power outage would shut down all the computer servers that hosted these websites as well.

Speaking of travelling they hadn't had much luck trying to find G.U. so far. The biggest problem was that while there were plenty of references to the company there was no clue as to where their network servers were located. No hints as to where their headquarters was. It was like trying to find a needle that had been flung to some far corner of a universe you had never heard of. Things had changed a lot in the time they had been enslaved by Aihane.

To put things more simply... they were lost. They were lost somewhere in the network equivalent of England with no idea of how to get back to Japan and no clue as to where to start looking even when they got there.

Fidchell closed his eyes as his fingers twitched over his fan once again.

"I beseech all of thee to stop this foolishness. Arguing will not help us find thy partners with any more haste. We must find something or someone that shalt lead us to thine other Epitaphs and thus connect us with G.U. While we may not be aware of the reason why these people art helping us we must nonetheless take advantage of such fortuitous events while we can. That means not wasting such precious minutes on trivial matters that we have already been well informed of," Fidchell noted sourly as he glared at Hinote Gorre who crossed her arms and looked away.

Tarvos was there as well the black streaks gone from her body but chains still wrapped around her body and hung loosely from her wrists. So far during this trip she had been down right miserable and Fidchell knew that she was thinking of her partner Reiko. They had been separated for over a year and the fact that they were finally going to see each other again was clearly making the Epitaph nervous. Fidchell on the other hand was trying as best he could to cover his own feelings on the matter. His User was dead. Yata may have died after they were seperated but he had still felt it quite distinctly. Also it had been on the news since he was a rather well known game character and Aihane hadn't hesitated to brag about it and rub it in the Epitaph's face.

Fidchell may be free, but he had no real home to go back to. He wasn't very close with the other Epitaphs, he never had the chance to get very close to his User the way the others did, and so far the only thing he'd done was fight them under Aihane's orders. Never in all his cycles on the network had Fidchell felt so worthless. Corbenik was less than a shadow of his former self and would devour any data he came across so finally Aihane had started feeding some of his enslaved AIDA fragments to him. But only the ones that actually were still trying to resist him. Until then Fidchell had never felt much sympathy for the creatures, but after that he couldn't help but feel bad for them. Sure some AIDA were following Aihane willingly, but a sizable portion of them were just as enslaved as the Epitaphs had been.

"Do you think the other enslaved AIDA got away as well?" Tarvos asked softly and Fidchell snapped out of his thoughts to look over at her. She was the only Epitaph who really seemed to know anything about him and had taken more of a person interest in him ever since Corbenik... well lost his mind for lack of a better description. Fidchell ran his feathered hand across his weapon as he considered that question. Gorre had gone back to arguing with each other already and weren't paying them the least bit of attention.

"Thou can only hope. Thou I most highly doubt it..." Fidchell said in return and Tarvos reached over and put her hand over his.

"We're going home Fidchell. It's not going to be easy, but it is safe... and free," she added gently and Fidchell nodded and took a deep breath.

"Thou shalt try and remember your sage advice. For now we must make hast in finding G.U. Aihane is moving quickly and thine who loosed us from our bonds are close in pursuit. The endgame is nigh and we must hurry if we don't want to miss it," Fidchell lifted his head and Tarvos nodded in agreement.

"Hey what's that over there?"

Both Epitaphs looked over to see Hinote Gorre pointing to a glowing pink line of data that had appeared. It was a remote laptop connection and it looked as if the internet signal was going through a satellite which in turn was routed to several different network hubs before disappearing into the distance. Immediately Gorre dashed off and both of them floated around it and examined the glowing pink connection.

"Hey! This is some pretty sweet equipment! They're going through some great pains to make sure no one knows who they're trying to talk to. But it's a visual connection so I bet we could hijack it and see what they're up to. It must be pretty important for them to try and work while the entire surrounding area is suffering an outage," Hinote Gorre commented as she poked the line with one of her claws. Gorre Taiga rubbed his hands; he may be easier to work with but he could be just as troublesome as his counterpart

"Be careful we don't need to attract unwanted...!" Tarvos was interrupted when Gorre reached into the data stream and pulled a glowing sphere of data out of it. Moments later a big screen popped up showing a woman with dyed hair. The view was at an angle and the top of a roof could be seen behind her. Immediately her eyes widened and she leaned closer to what must be her laptop screen as warning alarms started to sound around the Epitaphs.

"Ack! Fidchell, Tarvos help! It was an accident!" Gorre Taiga said as Hinote Gorre tried to pull out of the data stream only to have a line of code shoot out and wrap around her arm.

"Ow! Hey let go of me!" Hinote Gorre clawed at the data and threw several attacks at it but it refused to let go.

"Oh heck now! Nobody tries to hack my stuff and get away with it! I'm picking up traces of AIDA. Okay pal you're coming back with me!" the woman said as her fingers flew over the keyboard. Before Fidchell and Tarvos could react Hinote Gorre was pulled right into the data stream and onto the woman's computer system.

"Give her back!" Gorre Taiga objected as he leaped in after her and left the two other Epitaphs there alone. After a moment, Fidchell sighed and lifted his fan and spread it out.

"Might as well see who this woman is talking too and reveal ourselves as well. They either know who we are or they think we're just using some really strange online Avatars," Fidchell commented as he worked. With a few fluid motions he spliced into the vid link himself and opened another window showing who the woman was talking to what he saw was...

"Rhodesia!" Tarvos exclaimed as she caught sight of the African woman sitting there at a desk. "Oh are we glad to see you!" she exclaimed with obvious relief in her voice.

Fidchell for his part was very confused. Was he supposed to know who this person was?

Tarvos glanced over and saw the confused look on his face because she quickly explained.

"You were captured shortly before she arrived at CC Corp. Ever since she got there she started helping out in the fight against Aihane. I was captured during our final fight when The World was destroyed so I don't know what's been going on since then and Aihane is selective about what news information he allows us to have," Tarvos stated and Fidchell hummed and couldn't help but tense up slightly.

Was she supposed to be Yata's replacement then? Someone who could lead the Epitaph User's more effectively?

"Tarvos? Fidchell? How? When?" Rhodesia stopped and waved her hands, "Not important is any of that. Don't move anywhere. Help you find a way back here to G.U. Servers Ren and Kisho will. Many developments to discuss we have. Other Epitaph Users will be so excited! Don't leave!" she added pointing at them before addressing the other woman. "And Ren captured hacker is Gorre most likely. So want to let them go you will before destroy too many computer programs for revenge they try and do," she warned and the woman, evidently Ren, cursed and bent back to type on her laptop as a male voice criticized her in the background. Seconds later they were arguing.

"Many things going on right now is there. On second thought stay there. If found Ren you did then must be in London area are you. Think we do Aihane has something special planned for London area. Stay with Ren and Kisho for now. Talk to others and send Epitaph to meet up with you as soon as possible I will. Great news is this!" Rhodesia said before disconnecting. Seconds later Hinote Gorre flew back out of the pink data stream spitting curses while Gorre Taiga followed close behind her.

"We've heard reports about what happened in South Africa as we've been travelling, but since he doesn't have us anymore Aihane must have used Corbenik for this if he is indeed involved. London is a huge area and while South Africa isn't all that behind technologically it's still a very different place from London when you start looking at the city itself and what makes it run. Crippling a city like this is very different and England has a huge influence on the world economy at large. It's only going to take a couple days for this to impact other large countries and throw them into chaos as well. Aihane has thrown all of his plans to the wind and is just throwing chaos wherever and whenever he can. This is definitely going to cause trouble throughout the network and impact G.U.," Tarvos commented as Hinote Gorre continued to complain and Gorre Taiga tried to calm her down.

Fidchell still felt a bit lost. Clearly Tarvos saw no problem with trusting Rhodesia and following along with her direction, but Fidchell had no idea of who this woman was and the idea that she may have just stepped into Yata's place did not sit well with him.

_Defeating Aihane is our top priority. All else must wait until that moment comes upon us, _Fidchell swallowed his sour attitude as best he could and tried to stay focused. They had found the other Epitaphs but Fidchell still felt out of place. Instead of being welcoming the thought of going back didn't make him feel any better. It wasn't his home. He didn't have anyone he could think of as a friend and things had clearly changed when it came to how things were run. He didn't belong there, but where else was he supposed to go? Fidchell would never dream of abandoning his fellow Epitaph's, but he certainly didn't feel like part of a team either and they needed to act like a team if they were going to survive.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>They're back! Fidchell, Gorre, and Tarvos are finally back and free! Well except it seems that Fidchell isn't feeling so good. Maybe one of the other Epitaph's will be able to cheer him up! After all his latent abilities are going to be vital when it comes helping Corbenik... but that would be a spoiler if I revealed anything else now wouldn't it?

Also Area 51 the worst kept secret in US military history is available for your viewing pleasure on Google Earth! Its in Arizona I think, but it is reportedly not being used anymore and instead everything has been moved to a new location possibly in Utah. For this story though it is going to play an important part in the final battle against Aihane. The power going off in London is also very important to Aihane's last ditch efforts and unfortunately it might have to suffer some... "structural damage" very soon in the future.

I mean we have a military that's supposed to be decommissioned now being stockpiled with bombs and long range sub orbital missiles and then you have a heavily populated city that is now defenseless. I'm sure you all are smart enough to come up with a few ideas as to what that might result in.

Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be up soon!


	16. Final Call

Timeline Update: Monday night September 3rd

**AN: **Okay I've gotten things mixed up in the past and had to correct it so to avoid getting things confused in the future I'm putting up this list. This is a list of all the Assassin's and which Epitaph's they are modeled after.

Death Reaper = Skeith

Noia = Innis

Yet to be revealed = Magus

Tenebris & Lucidus = Fidchell

Atlas & Titan = Gorre

Syrakis = Macha

Yet to be revealed = Tarvos

Chaos = Corbenik

Chapter 16: Final Call

* * *

><p>"They did what?" Aaliyah frowned as Kisho stood next to the power generator in the backyard of their London home.<p>

"Someone used EMP devices. It stands for electromagnetic pulse and it's a type of energy that can disable or permanently ruin many types of electronic devices. It can be generated naturally by lightning strikes or by large solar flares, but it can also happen as a result of man-made weapons," Kisho explained more simply to them. "Your generator is still working because it wasn't hooked up to the main power grid and your TV and computers are still working as well. My guess is that this was a localized strike on London's smart grid," he added playing with his hair as he spoke.

"London's power grid has been completely revamped in the past few years and new substations built with power relays. So if one goes down then the others can carry a heavier load from the main power station until the unit comes back online. Also some neighborhoods have their own transformers and smaller computer sensors help the power company better determine where a power outage has occurred right down with extreme precision. Of course all this smart technology makes it very vulnerable to this type of attack," Kisho glanced up as a small quadrotor zipped by overhead. It paused and trained its camera's on them but Kisho waved it off. Waving its rotors from side to side the machine hurried away to the next home.

Ren took up the explanation from here.

"Our guess is that someone planted a device that would create a localized EMP field inside of our nearby the power plants or nuclear plants that London uses. It wouldn't need to last very long. A quick burst of just a few seconds that extends throughout the main building and any nearby ones would be more than enough. The computer and sensors that control those machines and their power output have protections on them, but nothing is impenetrable. Even if the EMP devices that were used just disabled them temporarily it could still take weeks or months to fix them. Also the quadrotors you see flying all around the neighborhood tonight just sent us a copy of their report. G.U. has special shielding on all of our machines to keep them from being permanently damaged by such an attack. Still a few of them were suddenly disabled for several minutes before their systems rebooted and they were able to reorient themselves. They found EMP devices on several substations and some transformers. Several people were caught in the act of trying to set some EMP devices off and are being held in police custody," Ren added as Aaliyah glanced around as if expecting a swarm of the machines to appear once again.

Karim hummed and stroked his beard in thought.

"Hospital generators are attached to the power grid so they can come on automatically if the power fails, but unfortunately they are not serviced or taken care of very well and there have been plenty of news reports about them failing before due to such lax oversight. I hope those people will be all right," he said mostly to himself before raising his voice and saying, "What about the missile defense system?"

Aaliyah frowned but pursed her lips instead of saying anything. Karim caught the look on his wife's face and nudged her shoulder slightly. "Oh no you don't. I know that look. What is it?" he pressed and the woman tapped her lips in consideration.

"London put up the missile defense system years ago before the Olympic games. It involves high velocity missiles located on designated rooftops and the system was later expanded throughout the rest of the city. I was worried about them but the missiles are designed to shoot down a hijacked aircraft so they are constantly monitored and they have to be operated manually in order to fire. They have interference protectors on them so it's unlikely that they would be affected," Aaliyah paused for a moment before adding. "However, if there is evidence that they were deliberately targeted or included in an attack then..." she stopped and looked over at her husband who nodded grimly.

"Why would they need to disable a missile system that's primarily designed to stop hijacked aircraft?" Karim said the words slowly and a long moment of silence passed as the drone of a helicopter drifted through the city. Aaliyah pursed her lips and looked up at the sky.

"I've seen quite a few military jets and helicopters flying and keeping a tight no fly zone around the city although there has been some news helicopters let inside," Aaliyah noted as a military helicopter passed overhead. The missiles it carried were plainly visible on its wings. "Even one helicopter like that could do serious damage to the city. Just its bullets alone could cause millions in damage not to mention the bombs it has. If a couple of them or even most of them were hacked while the city's missile defense system is down they could level entire sections of the city before other military forces could arrive to stop them," she commented as Kisho and Ren exchanged a look.

"Why don't I just grab my laptop and get the satellite internet connection back up? I'll check on the Epitaphs while I'm at it," Ren offered as she took slow steps back towards the separate apartment both she and Kisho were staying in.

"I think I'll get in contact with Tenebris and Lucidus and see how quickly it would take them to get up here," Kisho said referring to the two dragon Assassins that were currently watching over one of G.U.'s robotics facilities in the Middle East. "I recommend spending some time with your wife and children," he added seriously and Karim nodded grimly before putting an arm around his wife's shoulders and ushering her back inside.

* * *

><p>"And what exactly are we supposed to do if Aihane does hijack those military aircraft? Just stop the missiles in thin air and then leave them lying around the streets of London?" Lucidus demanded her wings flipping back and settling at her sides just like a human would put their hands on their hips. Tenebris sighed and tried his best to pacify his testy partner.<p>

"Now, now my dear this is what we were created for its our..."

"If you say the word 'destiny' then I swear I will melt your wings to your sides."

"..._purpose_ in life to help others. Chigusa created us as protectors as..." Tenebris stopped and twirled his tail around as he looked for the right world, "...as the guardians of humanity if you will. Death Reaper will be here in a few hours to take over temporary security detail of this facility. If we leave now and do not stop then we can easily be there by tomorrow morning. Besides where there's a will there's a way isn't that right? As long as we work together we will find a way to make this happen," Tenebris said persuasively and watched as her wings relaxed and folded back at her sides.

"Well... I suppose you might have a point with all that," Lucidus admitted but she still looked back over her shoulder at the robotics facility. She did take her assignment seriously she just wasn't as vocal or emotional about it as her partner was. "Death Reaper will be here in a few hours, right?" she asked fidgeting uncertainly.

"Two hours and 35 minutes to be exact. Until then there are plenty of other machines who are capable of defending this facility until she gets here," Tenebris urged and after a moment of silence she sighed and looked back at him.

"Fine. Whatever. Let's get going, but you had better not get me shot out of the sky."

"I wouldn't dream of it my dear. No worries. We are the perfect team are we not? There's nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. Okay well I mean there may be one tiny, small thing that you might wish to be informed of before we..."

"_No_."

"Well it's not like this is my decision!"

"I am not working with him! He's just as off kilter as the Epitaph he's modeleed after!" Lucidus leveled a stern glare at Tenebris who gave her a sheepish look.

"Now now these are direct orders from the folks at G.U. We are to go to London as soon as possible and meet up with Chaos so we can prepare for what may end up being an intensive military ballistic barrage. In other words a lot of bombs incoming to London," Tenebris stopped when Lucidus hissed at him and snapped her jaws.

"I know what that means! But why him? Of all the Assassin's there are we have to get paired up with the one modelled after Corbenik? Why not the ones modeled after Magus? Or Tarvos?" Lucidus questioned with obvious distaste. Tenebris took a moment to pull up the information and of course his partner downloaded the information at the same time he did and reviewed it out loud. "Aura was forced to go with Aihane and transfer herself to the Kraken machine when Aihane threatened the humans she was with. Now the two Assassin's modeled after Magus and Tarvos are going after the Kraken and they will either get Aura back through negotiation or by force. Well best of luck to them. That machine may have been created for scientific purposes but now that Aihane or one of his AIDA fragments has taken over it's going to be quite an adversary," Lucidus commented as she reviewed the information Tenebris had looked up.

After a moment she added, "That still doesn't mean I'm happy about it, but I will do what I must. Chaos still gives me the creeps though so you are going to be the one talking to him not me," she warned sternly and Tenebris smiled innocently.

"I wouldn't dream of doing anything else."

* * *

><p>Syrakis lifted his head a little higher and zoomed in on what was happening down below them. The military base known as Area 51 had not officially been in use for quite a few years so when people suddenly started showing up and a strong security presence was reinstituted at the base people started to get suspicious very quickly. The United States military had lost control of the base and had contacted G.U. to come in with their machines and find out what was going on. Specifically to find out what was going on and to take control of the military base without any other countries or the media finding out what was going on. Having a bunch of military personnel rolling through the area would attract far too much attention.<p>

Humans were so worried about their pride and reputations.

Switching to thermal vision, Syrakis watched the humans moving around. There weren't as many as he expected there to be but it was far above that of mere skeleton crew. The other RAPTOR units had sent out small clouds of their tiny drones and were already gathering tons of video of bombs and missiles being carried back and forth. They had enough evidence to go in and use deadly force if necessary. Problem was they may already have been too late.

Thermal imaging showed spots on the concrete that were hotter than normal. The runways also showed brighter streaks of heat activity as well. While it was impossible to tell specifically what type of machine had been there it was obvious that it was some type of aerial vehicle. Likely jets of some kind. All they needed now was to find out where the remaining jets were and attach a tracking device to a few of them. If they could catch one taking off with bombs attached and track it moving across the United States towards Europe then it would be an immediate red flag. Niketas and Rhodesia thought that Aihane was not only behind the power and water outage in London, but that he was also planning to make an example out of the city by bombing it.

_Bomber jets spotted. Several butterfly tracker drones snuck themselves inside the machine. Recording video of take off right now, _one of the RAPTOR's announced to Syrakis and the other units. Seconds later a video stream opened up in the corner of his vision with four different inlays. One recorded the jet's current geographic location, the other listed current weapons and their status as active or passive, another was simply a high-definition video of what was going on and another was a thermal imaging video shot.

_Using the drones as a router I got several pictures and short video before the jet started up and they had to take cover. Confirmed traces of AIDA picked up in the computer systems before the drones were forced to detach from them, _the RAPTOR added as the jet rumbled down the runway and took off. Once in the air it circled around and started heading east. It would still be a while before they had an official flight course, but for now they had enough proof.

_Transfer all information to G.U. and prepare for action. We are taking control of this base. Use of deadly force is up to you. All machines capable of flight are our first priority find them and map out the most efficient method of destroying them first. Focus on land vehicles after that. We cannot allow anyone or anything else to escape this area. Focus especially on teamwork and don't allow each other to be caught off guard. All gates have been locked except for the front through which all traffic is carefully funnelled and checked before being allowed in. I will seal all the locked gates just in case and then head to the front myself. Once I am in position I will give you the go ahead to attack, _Syrakis stated as he leaped forward off the small rise and quietly sprinted down the hillside towards the base.

Excitement hummed through his circuits. This was the final battle. That much was clear, but how effectively it went all started right here and now. This was the first move. They needed to cut off Aihane's operations here and stop more bombs from heading out of here. The jets weren't being monitored by the United States because they had no confimation that they were here; well not yet at least. Even if they were being tracked Aihane was easily smart enough to figure out how to get around or even scramble military grade radars. They needed to find out how many jets were still here and how many had taken off so they could inform G.U. Once that was done the information would be forwarded to Tenebris and Lucidus who would be better able to determine how to protect London from attack.

They needed to move and move quickly.

* * *

><p>Fidchell was already having a hard enough time getting his bearings and getting caught up on what was going on. He did not need anything else adding to his confusion. Unfortunately life, destiny, karma, whatever it may be had other plans for him. Ren and her twin brother Kisho apparently were not only G.U. employees but Chigusa's siblings as well. Before he could process this information Gorre had darted off like kids in a candy store to look through all the hacking and programming tools in Ren's laptop inventory. She had reopened the satellite connection and Fidchell had moved over to her computer system along with Gorre who had been let out of the "prison" they had immediately been thrown into as a safeguard.<p>

What the two humans currently had was rather impressive and they were clearly of a pretty high rank judging by the information they had been giving him and Gorre for the past few hours. They had a fairly good idea of what was going on here in London and were pretty close to figuring out what Aihane was up to. A few comments by Fidchell himself had confirmed their suspicions and they already had a plan of action in place.

However, that was not what was bothering Fidchell at the moment. As soon as he started talking in-depth to the two G.U. hackers one of his senses had started to twitch. A very special one that right now was sounding loud and clear every time he turned his attention to Ren and Kisho. Gorre was so busy rifling through their laptop systems that they probably hadn't noticed it yet, but for Fidchell it was coming across very distinctly. Ren and Kisho clearly had the potential to be Epitaph Users and both Fidchell and Gorre were currently without User's themselves. Yata, or Takumi as he was known in the real world, was now dead and Iori, Gorre's partner had been separated from them. Besides he was really too young to be an Epitaph User anyway. It was far too great of a weight to bear at such a young age.

The whole thing was throwing Fidchell very off-balance. He had already been in Aihane's clutches when Yata died and while the thought did come up once he had quickly dismissed it. Failing one User was bad enough the last thing he wanted was to take on another one. Technically speaking they no longer required human partners since they were in their final forms. Besides he didn't want someone new. He wanted Takumi back. As for Gorre he had already heard them say once before that they would never take a new User while Iori was alive. Hinote Gorre had insisted that they just needed to wait a couple of years until he grew up. Personally, Fidchell, thought Iori was better off staying far, far away from G.U. and just being free to grow up as an ordinary child, but Gorre wouldn't listen anyway so he hadn't bothered to say anything.

The realization that these two humans had the potential to be Epitaph Users was awakening feelings that Fidchell thought he had already buried. Especially when it came to Ren. While her brother Kisho seemed more level-headed than his twin sister Fidchell recognized the same passion and love for the network that had existed in Yata. Takumi didn't just like being on the internet the way an average gamer did, he loved seeing how it worked, how it operated and then working to make it better and improve it. The World and Aura had truly been his life's passion. While Ren was not nearly as obsessed as Yata had been, she still was clearly passionate about her line of work. The memories Ren was dredging up right now was making Fidchell more and more uncomfortable.

Fidchell frowned slightly and moved the extra HD camera that Kisho had clipped to the top of the laptop. Adjusting the lens he moved the view down slightly so he could see what Ren was doing. They were all up to date now so Kisho had gone to get some more work done. Meanwhile, Ren had grabbed a plastic container and was now sitting at the counter messing with a bunch of pill bottles. There were at least 15 of them.

"What perhaps are all of those various medications for?" Fidchell asked suddenly making her jump. When she glared at the camera he realized she probably couldn't see anything other than her usual computer screen. With a few simple commands Fidchell opened a window so she would be able to see him directly. "Forgive my intrusion. I did not wish to startle thee unnecessarily," he apologized and Ren sniffed and went back to what she was doing.

"Some of these are anti-psychotic's. This one is for depression, another for anxiety, a few to counteract the side effects of the other meds and so on," Ren replied as she finished taking out pills from each one. Putting the bottles away she grabbed a few pills and swallowed them down with a mouthful of water.

Fidchell considered that for a moment before asking another question, "Anti-psychotic's? So the... coding in thou head does not operate correctly?" He wasn't entirely sure of the best way to ask such a personal question. The only human's he had heard of with such conditions were usually without work, homeless, or in special hospitals, but Ren had a very high-ranking and specialized job. She also seemed to be a person of great intelligence if her customized laptop operating systems was anything to go by. The code for it was quite fascinating.

Ren's lips pulled up into a slight smile at his words.

"Ummm... yeah that's one way to put it. I have schizophrenia," she added and Fidchell caught her obvious hesitation when she said the last word. When Ren looked up at the screen she must have seen a blank look on his face because she sighed heavily. Leaning back in the chair she bit her lip and played around with the pills remaining on the counter. "Oh man how do I explain this? It's... it's a mental illness that affects how I perceive reality. My brain didn't develop properly so it's hard for me to tell the difference between what I'm thinking in my head and what's really happening around me," Ren explained to him before swallowing the rest of her pills and finishing off her glass of water.

"Think of it this way. You know the difference between something that happens on the network and something that happens offline right? A virus that affects you is totally different from a virus that makes a human being sick," Ren said and Fidchell nodded quietly. "Well for me what's in my head and what's not gets all jumbled up. Everything is all the same to me and my train of thought can be really crazy when I'm off my meds because of it. It can also make me really paranoid and afraid if I don't take my medication properly and consistently," she continued and Fidchell could see by her fidgeting and twitching that she was really not comfortable talking about this.

"But it also makes it really easy for me to understand ideas that other people may find difficult or abstract. Most people don't think of the network much unless their favorite website isn't working, but to people that work with it everyday and make the pieces that help it run we see an entire world," Ren leaned forward in excitement and Fidchell could tell she was getting ready to go off on a tangent. "I mean Innis showed it to me one time. Like the way you guys see it with all these glowing lines and giant shapes and stuff. She showed me what it's like trying to navigate and how you have to find a connection going in the right direction just like a person would have to find the right road to get to where they want to go and it all totally made sense to me you know!"

Settling back a little Ren swiveled back and forth in her chair as she gestured with her hands.

"I mean why wouldn't the network be all like a world all in and of itself? That's why I think G.U. and people like Rhodesia and Niketas are so necessary. They aren't just in positions of power they really understand that the network has become like an entire living world all it's own and we need to help protect it and guide its development. We need to help you guys and show you how to take control of the network and of A.I.'s and A-Life systems you can help them grow and make sure the network is a safe haven for them without having to worry about humans coming after them. Or using them the way they are now," Ren stopped to take a breath but stopped when a hand dropped down on her shoulder.

"Down girl. They just got back we don't need you scaring them off again," Kisho leaned down and waved to the camera. Ren scowled and opened her mouth to say something but stopped when he handed her a steaming cup. "Generator has plenty of fuel and power for now so I made you some tea. With enough sugar to choke an elephant of course," Kisho added and Ren's expression brightened immediately as she took the cup from him.

"Mmm, you do have a heart sometimes don't you?" she asked as she hummed contentedly and continued to swivel back and forth in her chair. Kisho kissed his sister's hair and pulled up a chair next to her.

"Only in life or death situations, dear sister."

"Well better late than never I suppose," Ren said happily as she sipped at her tea.

Fidchell glanced back and forth between the two. He surmised that Kisho was not just a sibling and working partner to Ren, but also partially her caregiver as well.

Getting back on track, Fidchell asked, "What about Aura? Ren informed me of the fact that as far as thou dost know she not yet been transferred to Aihane yet so there is still a chance to perform an adequate rescue is there not?" Kisho nodded and checked his wristwatch.

"We have two Assassin's on it right now. Those are the special machines that Chigusa, Innis, and Magus designed and created together. Aihane needs a connection with a huge amount of bandwith in order to transfer Aura to whatever system he is using. There are only a few places in the world that can handle that kind of load and the Kraken machine currently holding Aura captive is heading straight for one such place with no obvious deviation in its course. We also have agents on site working to prevent Aura from being transferred anywhere should these Assassin's fail. Then of course we have you Epitaphs as the last line of defense... speaking of which where is Tarvos?" Kisho frowned and Fidchell hesitated for a moment.

"I fear that she is not quite well yet. Her worries over her User are very great as is her feeling of failure in her duty. She will be ready for duty, but I am afraid that she will not speak to anyone else right now," Fidchell responded and he looked back at Tarvos who was off by herself looking rather pitiful. Gorre was still searching through and copying some of Ren's hacking tools. She had locked them down so all you could do was look at them or copy them, but they couldn't actually be used right now. Fidchell thought that was most wise considering Gorre's mischievous nature.

"Very well. I too shall be ready along with Gorre. Let thou hope thine fears shalt not come to pass," Fidchell said somberly.

* * *

><p>Syrakis grimly finished his report and sent it straight to Lady Chigusa at the highest priority that he could. Thankfully most of the humans had surrendered. All total there were about 150 who had been working here and of those only five had to be killed when they refused to surrender after several attempts were made to stop them or give them an opportunity to stop.<p>

Hissing to himself, Syrakis stepped over one of the dead bodies and gestured for one of his pack members to drag it off. Right away another RAPTOR jogged forward and dragged the dead man away. The rest of the humans were tied up and had been stripped of all their weapons. Now they were being guarded by three RAPTORS while they waited for a military team representing the government to come and take them away to be officially arrested and tried for a long list of crimes.

Video of them loading up jets with fuel and bombs had already been recorded and copies of them had been placed on a removable device that would be handed over once the military team arrived here. Eleven jets of various makes and models had already taken off and seven more were sitting around fueled up and waiting to take off. It may seem like a small number, but they were still carrying enough artillery to level most of London and maybe a few surrounding towns as well. They had done what they could here and stopped a bad situation from becoming even worse. Now it was up to Tenebris and Lucidus to stop the jets that were already on their way.

The United States had managed to shoot down two jets but the rest had evaded radar detection so that still left nine flying and ready to carpet bomb London.

_This whole plan is hanging on a thread. Each team and each piece must succeed in order for this mission to go as planned, _Syrakis thought as he paced back and forth his claws clicking on the concrete. There were so many human lives at stake here and just so Aihane could make a point. Not to mention those who were already suffering thanks to his destructive efforts in South Africa.

Just a few hours left before the jets arrived in the airspace surrounding London.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>I'm sorry for taking so long by I got really, _really _depressed when I started trying to write this chapter. I already have problems with depression and I've been feeling a lot of pressure to make these chapters as good as possible. This is the longest story I've ever worked on and its hard to believe that it's finally coming to an end after so many years. Things are pretty much set up now for Aihane's big strike so next chapter the skies of London will be on fire! Literally and figuratively. Anyway thanks for reading and please review!


	17. Let The Flames Begin

Timeline Update: Tuesday September 4th

**AN: **Just like last chapter this is a list of all the Assassin's and which Epitaph's they are modeled after. I think I'm gonna keep it up there until the end of the story and the epilogue.

Death Reaper = Skeith

Noia = Innis

Yet to be revealed = Magus

Tenebris & Lucidus = Fidchell

Atlas & Titan = Gorre

Syrakis = Macha

Yet to be revealed = Tarvos

Chaos = Corbenik

Chapter 17: Let The Flames Begin

* * *

><p>Quadrotors darted back and forth across London flying down roads and through alleyways. Howler's, the larger more canine-like machines manufactured by G.U., roamed the streets on all fours making sure that no one was walking around. For the first time in memory the city of London was practically a ghost town. In most cases the Howler's verbally urged people back indoors, but in some cases they used force on those humans who refused to comply. They were here to keep people safe whether they liked it or not. The smaller quadrotors not only patrolled the city but they also worked to shuttle supplies around much faster than humans could. Food, water, fuel, medicine, and anything else humans needed.<p>

The mechanical steps of the Howler's and the buzzing rotors of the drones drifted and echoed through the buildings. Meanwhile, a short distance away the sound of explosions and bombs shook the air.

* * *

><p>A beam of focused sound waves slammed into the helicopter shattering its windows and throwing off its balance. Flying up from the bottom, Tenebris slammed into the bottom of the helicopter and ripped the tail and top rotor off leaving the rest to fall to the paved streets in a mess of twisted metal and flames. Lucidus dodged and twisted around in elaborate arcs as she dodged the bullets the helicopters were shooting at her. No matter how many they took down more automated helicopters appeared like flies. The few manned helicopters around were all news crews and they were staying far, far away from the chaotic scene.<p>

London's missile defense system had indeed been shut down so it was up to Tenebris and Lucidus to intercept what missiles there were. They couldn't be everywhere though and buildings exploded left and right in a rain of debris as bombs flew out from the helicopter's wings. The air shimmered as a laser shot up from a nearby rooftop and hit a bomb on one of the helicopter's wings destroying the aerial vehicle.

Lucidus looked down and saw Chaos down there on the rooftop below them. While they patrolled the air he was down below doing everything he could to stop bombs from hitting the buildings around the area. Most of the humans had been evacuated already but some were still being hurried to safety by a few Howler machines. Chaos had to stay down there and keep them safe.

The Assassin had a long almost serpentine body, but his legs gave him a rather lizard or dragon-like look as well. Large wings were folded back against his sides and the tips trailed back and crossed behind him. Fins were scattered down the length of his back and large fangs hung down from his top jaw and past his lower jaw. His strong legs had webbed feet and his head had sharp horns curving back and around down by his jaw. Opening his mouth, Chaos fired off another laser and exploded the bomb moments after it left the helicopter. Tenebris swooped down and ripped the helicopter in half afterwards.

Swinging around Lucidus landed on the edge of the rooftop next to Chaos as his long metal tongue flicked out like a snake's. She kept her wings spread so as not to put too much weight on the already groaning structure. Chaos glanced over at her as his tongue flicked out again to taste the air. His eyes were red with an orange iris and that combined with his jet black body gave her the creeps. His wings were a mixture of red and orange as well. Lucidus shivered as Chaos finally turned and stared at her.

"My sensors detect the presence of chemicals at levels that could harm a human being. These chemicals are determined to be tear gas. They must have been added to some of the bombs. At least 70 percent of the humans in a five-mile radius have been evacuated but that still leaves 30 percent who are in danger. Satellite tracking shows that at least 20 jets are incoming from various parts of the world. All of them hacked and operating autonomously. Helicopters we can stop, but jets will likely be too fast for you to handle. If any jets appear then be sure to move out of the way," Chaos explained in a silky voice that made Lucidus cringe. Sure he may be on their side but he was creepy in a way that defied all explanation. Even the dulled emotions of most Assassin's weren't enough to drive away the unease Chaos brought.

Lucidus merely nodded as more explosions shook the buildings around them. Tenebris destroyed another helicopter and sent it dropping down to the streets below. As soon as they arrived they had gone and checked on the power plant and gotten updates on the cities missile defense system. It had indeed been disabled and the military personnel removed on strict orders although no one could say for sure who had sent the orders. Besides there was no time to figure out who had sent the command and certainly no time to get the military personnel back. Instead they had focused on the anti-air batteries clustered around the power plant substations. A small squad of quadrotors had been assigned to patrol each one and two Howler machines had been placed at each rooftop missile launcher. One to fire and the other to reload. Their forearms and claws were dexterous enough to be able to operate the machines so it would be up to them to protect the substations.

All those living near the power plant and the power sub-stations had been evacuated already, but they still couldn't allow those locations to be destroyed. Not if they ever wanted to get the electricity in London up and running again at some point.

Lucidus turned as the sound of incoming jets drifted towards them. The sound of afterburners was unmistakable. Chaos lifted his head as well and met her gaze once again.

"Both you and Tenebris fly down above the rooftops and make sure no innocents are injured. I will take care of these jets. The missiles they carry will be far more powerful than what the helicopters had. If one slips through then destroy it from a distance. Do not risk a close encounter or your physical body could be ripped apart by the resulting explosion. Such damage would force you back online automatically and would be a huge distraction to your partner," Chaos added and Lucidus looked over at Tenebris who kept throwing glances over at her. They were directly tied together so if one was destroyed it would be a devastating blow to the other.

"We'll be careful. Just try not to miss any," Lucidus warned before flapping her wings and taking off into the sky. Circling around she watched as Chaos extended his broad wings and lifted off into the air as well and circled around higher and higher into the sky as the first jet appeared on the horizon.

Chaos opened his mouth and the air wavered as he fired a powerful laser. A flash of light showed that it had been hit and seconds later an explosion of fire expanded and billowed out into a huge cloud of smoke one that kept growing until it had increased several times. If that jet had been flying any lower it would have leveled quite a few city blocks.

"We cannot allow them to get anywhere near here. Another explosion like that would destroy this entire area," Tenebris said as he pulled around to fly beside her. More jets were appearing on the horizon and Chaos was firing off lasers left and right. It wouldn't take very long before the entire city sky was obscured by thick black smoke.

They were the biggest line of defense and Aihane was obviously concentrating his assault on them. If a few of those bombs got through it could kill hundreds if not thousands of innocent people.

Hopefully the other two Assassin's were doing better in their hunt for Aura.

* * *

><p>Servanus could see the Kraken machine ahead of him. It had been keeping up this pace for the past two hours and evidently had no intentions of slowing down. The long serpent-like machine was still holding Aura prisoner and they were about 50 miles away from shore. It was time to move in and put an end to this cat and mouse game.<p>

Servanus' metal body had a long neck and powerful jaws. His jaws were wired with electricity powerful enough to disable entire vessels far bigger then the Kraken. His webbed forearms also had claws that could electrocute whatever was unfortunate enough to be caught in them. His back legs and long thick tail helped move him through the water and were dangerous weapons in their own right. But bursts of electricity and electromagnetic fields were his main defense. A shadow passed overhead and Servanus glanced up to see a large machine flying along with him. That would be Hikari and she was modeled after the Steller's Sea Eagle which could be seen in the northernmost parts of Japan during the winter.

Hikari was a powerful machine and her beak and claws could rip a person or machine to shreds. Both of them were made to patrol high risk ocean areas. Places that had a high record of pirate strikes, "secret" trade routes that were used to smuggle illegal drugs and weapons, as well as illegal fishing activities. Until now they had not yet worked together and Servanus only had a general idea of what she could do. "General" meaning that her specifications had been sent to him just before they met up. This was going to be an interesting battle for sure.

_I'll set up barrier mines to stop the Kraken. You'll be able to go in and out of them, but it won't. You'll have to put up some electromagnetic barrier mines farther down in the water so it can't dive down and slip underneath it, _Hikari explained through a private channel as she flew ahead of him and circled around in front of the Kraken dropping small objects as she went. They dropped down a few feet below the waterline and floated there sending out strong electromagnetic pulses. Any machine that passed by them without proper shielding would have all of its electronic equipment fried and crippled beyond repair.

Immediately the Kraken made a sharp turn to avoid them, but Hikari was already halfway through her circle and she closed it before the Kraken could even begin to move toward the opening. Servanus surged forward through the water and dove down beneath the Kraken releasing mines of his own as he went. Once the barrier was completed he turned around to face his opponent head on.

The Kraken was far bigger then he had anticipated. It was at least two and half times his size. They couldn't just attack this machine head on they had to fight smart. Especially with Aura on board. Normally Servanus would head right in and deliver a crushing jolt of electricity to the machine to disable it, but with Aura still trapped in its systems there was no way he was going to risk that. She had no safeguards around her right now. An attack like that would do serious damage not just to the Kraken and whatever was being used to control it, but also to Aura as well.

_This barrier we've put up together will hold it, but it is still rather large. The Kraken will stay as far down in the water as possible which puts it out of my reach. You must drive it back up to the surface. Once you do I will dive down and grab it with my talons. I need to be close enough so that I can scramble its computer systems and hack into them. Once I'm inside its systems I'll find Aura and bring her over to my own physical body. This process will take about 15 seconds at the most, but only if the Kraken is sufficiently disabled. That's also taking into account that it is most likely being controlled by AIDA right now and not something else. My plan is to force my way past and grab Aura but if I'm forced to fight then that will delay me, _Hikari explained as her shadow circled around above them.

Servanus sent back confirmation as he swam closer to the Kraken. It turned around and shot off a high pressure water beam that immediately set off his heat sensors. Servanus dodged down as fast as he could but the temperature readings he got were off the charts. A direct hit would severely warp his body shell and cause severe overheating.

_I take it friendly negotiations are out? _Hikari questioned as the Kraken fired another water beam into the sky trying to hit the aerial machine. Of course she easily dodged it. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Servanus shot forward through the water and swerved to the right as the Kraken turned to try and grab him in its jaws. Slipping past he skimmed the surface of the water trying to bait the Kraken into following but it refused to take the bait. Instead it tried again to dive down deeper but was stopped by the barrier they had set up.

Hissing it fired off another water beam and whipped its head back and forth as Servanus did his best to weave around it and avoid being hit.

With a snap of its body it surged towards him jaws wide clearly intending to try and bite him again. Servanus back was to the water so he only had so much room to manuever. He waited until the last second to throw his body to the side, but he still took a heavy hit as the Kraken's head slammed into his side as it blew past and rose up out of the water. The force of his passing brought Servanus up out of the water as well and he saw Hikari diving down wings and talons outstretched before she and the Kraken crashed down sending a spray of water everywhere. Another impact hit Servanus sending him spinning down into the water. Fighting to regain his equilibrium he decided to dive down as deeply as possible to get out of the way.

Once Servanus had moved far enough down he turned to see the Kraken thrashing around in the water and Hikari holding on for dear life. Whipping his tail back and forth Servanus hurried to her aid and locked his jaws onto the Kraken's body. He couldn't get his entire mouth around the machine's body, but he did have a good enough hold to deliver an electric shock to its systems. Just enough to surprise it but not enough to stop it. The Kraken gave a violent shudder and then froze completely.

Hikari must have gotten inside its systems. Too bad the Kraken was now starting to sink.

_Do try not to take forever or you're going to be a drowned eagle rather than a flying one, _Servanus warned as he got under the Kraken and tried to push it back up towards the surface, but it was like an ant trying to push an elephant. Grunting Servanus started to sink rather quickly under the Kraken's much larger weight. Hikari's machine body had frozen as well since she was focused now on finding and pulling Aura out of there.

Seconds dragged on far, far too long until finally Hikari jerked back to life and flapped her wings violently. Letting go of the Kraken she floundered in the water for a while until she finally managed to get free of the water and slowly rose back up into the sky.

_I got her! I got her! Destroy it! _Hikari let out a screech as she circled in the air above them.

Turning his head, Servanus clamped his jaws down and delivered a massive electrical shock to the Kraken and the machine seized and thrashed violently before going still. Electricity sparking and arcing off its body. Letting go he swam out forward out from under the massive machine and let it sink down into the water.

_This is too easy. You can't even call this a proper fight. Aihane may be desperate but surely he wouldn't allow himself to make a mistake like this would he? _Servanus considered as he tried once again to push the Kraken farther back up in the water.

_I didn't think I was going to make it out. Corbenik was the one controlling the Kraken, but he didn't fight me. He just let me take Aura and go, _Hikari explained her voice filled with urgency. _Something's wrong with Aura. I don't... I don't know what Aihane did to her but there are huge chunks of data missing from her already. It's like something has been... been feeding on her. Servanus... I think Aura is dying._

* * *

><p>Aihane coughed and wiped the blood off his chin as the man above him crouched down to get a better look at the fallen hacker. His cowboy boots squeaked on the marble floor as he used the butt of his pistol to lift Aihane's chin.<p>

"Well, well lookie at what we got ourselves here. A wounded snake lain up right in my path," the man said with a heavily accented voice as he tipped his cowboy hat back a little. "I think I'm gonna enjoy baggin' up this one," he added as he stuck a toothpick into the corner of his mouth.

"Carlos... they... sent you here?" Aihane coughed the words out and each one brought on another wave of pain in his chest. He knew he had a few ribs broken at least. He had been trying to board a flight to Singapore when armed men had grabbed him right in the middle of the airport and dragged him out. They had fake police badges and everything. Aihane had tried to run but apparently he hadn't been fast enough.

A grin broke across Carlos face at the question. The spanish man wore a big mustache and an even bigger belt buckle. He was every bit a cowboy and had likely gone straight from the back of one of his horses and into an airplane.

"Got the call just as I was gettin' myself saddled up and ready to ride out. I wanted to check the herd of wild mustangs that I'm trainin' up to sell, but it seems that life just done had some other plans for me," Carlos said as he lazily rested his arms on his knees. "Shame too. Such beautiful and unappreciated animals those mustangs is. But when Kuzma Lavrenti calls there ain't much I can do but accept. 'Sides how could I not want to see my old back-stabbing hacker partner again?" Carlos added flashing his teeth in a smile. He was born and raised in New Mexio, USA and was a cowboy through and through. He lived out in the middle of nowhere with land that was worth more than most millionaires houses. A lot of people dismissed him as just a old country cowboy, but he had helped smuggle and distribute illegal electronics and digital software all across North, Central, and South America. You wouldn't find a better smuggler then him and he was a genius when it came to erasing or picking up digital trails. It was likely one of his programs that had tracked Aihane here in the first place.

"You done come to the end of the road good sir. You _won't_ be missed," Carlos said standing back up and waving to his goons who were still in their police uniforms.

"What about G.U.? What does Kuzma plan to do with them? You're just going to let them walk free?" Aihane demanded before the man could get too far away. Carlos stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Them kids over in Japan? According to Xing Bei it would be in our best interests to form a temporary alliance after which we should simply do our best to stay out of each other's way. Good plan if you ask for my opinion. No need to poke a stick at an angry rattler just to see how hard it bites if you know what I mean," Carlos said and then let out a laugh. "Considerin' the source I'd practically call that a glowin' review," he added and Aihane groaned in pain as the guards dragged him to his feet and bound his hands behind his back.

"So now all of a sudden you're just best pals with them? After all I've done you just go off and lick their heels don't you cowboy?" Aihane snarled and Carlos turned around and punched him in the face with his gun. Howling in pain Aihane stumbled back as the force of the impact broke his nose.

"Get him a bandage or somethin'. I ain't got time for him to be bleedin' all over the car," Carlos ordered and one of them men quickly grabbed a handkerchief and pressed it against Aihane's bloody nose.

"You best be countin' yourself lucky that I got my orders or you'd already be on the other side, whatever and wherever that may be. No we're gonna fly over to Japan and give G.U. a special present. I think the Epitaphs will be very happy to see you," Carlos explained with a snarl his relaxed expression completely gone. "We ain't bending over to kiss nobody's boot heels so you'd best get that clear right now, boy. The only thing we're doin' is workin' together to keep you from taking down the entire internet and destroyin' it beyond repair. You think we blind? We know what you got in mind for Corbenik and Aura and G.U. is in the best position to stop it and keep people safe afterwards while everythin' reboots," he said as Aihane winced in pain.

"Now these nice boys of mine are going to keep you under a 24 hour guard while we fly over to see the fine people over in Japan. Never been there myself, but I am lookin' forward to tryin' out some of that genuine Kobe beef myself," Carlos said as he pulled his belt up his waist a little.

Aihane immediately went pale upon hearing those words.

"Fly? We can't fly! Not now!" he objected as his guards tightened their grip on his arms.

Carlos lowered the brim of his hat and gave the hacker a sly look.

"Well then you'd better pray that G.U. has already planned for this kind of scenario. Come on boys we got ourselves a plane to catch or we're gonna to miss the show," Carlos said motioning for his men to follow them.

Aihane sputtered but couldn't find anymore words.

All across the city lights and computer screens started to flicker.

* * *

><p>Corbenik was riding high on the data he had just eaten. For the first time since his transformation he almost felt complete. Almost. Aihane had him used the Kraken machine and capture Aura. After that he was directed to head back to shore. Aihane said that G.U. would send other more powerful machines to stop him before getting close to shore so Corbenik was to eat as much of Aura's data as possible before that happened. Aura had so much data and it was all packed so tightly that he had just taken massive chunks out of her and swallowed them whole. He would have consumed her completely but just as Aihane said the other machines had come and interrupted first.<p>

Still Corbenik had consumed more data than he had in a long time, but it still wasn't enough. He needed _more_.

Now he was back on the internet and Aihane had finally given him the go ahead. He said that after all of the hard work he had done he deserved a special treat. He told Corbenik that if he was good and did what he was supposed to do with Aura then he could go back on the internet and take all the data he wanted.

So now Corbenik had activated his ability _Feeding Frenzy _and was draining the data from everything around him. He focused on the biggest places first, the names flashing past him as he darted from one place to another. Airlines, the stock exchange, power companies, phone companies, satellite channels, military hubs, city control systems. Anything and everything he could find was consumed in seconds and then he moved on.

But he needed more.

_Eat it all, eat it all, eat it all, eat it all, EAT IT ALL._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Sorry for taking forever to get this update and for it being short, but there aren't many chapters left and I really had to put a lot of thought into how I wanted this to end. There are probably only about 4 chapters left or so including the epilogue I'm planning. That may change but so far that's the target I'm setting.

But what's going to happen to Aura? Is she going to survive? Is the internet going to survive? Stay tuned until next time!


	18. Final Fight

Timeline Update: Tuesday September 4th

**AN: **I LIVE! I'm so sorry for taking this long everyone! And thank you for being so patient and not sending me any angry messages! I promise I have not been goofing off. In fact I have been busy working on my first original story! I started it during the month of November as part of National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. I accomplished the goal of 50,000 words but my novel isn't quite done yet. I'm closing in on the end and I'd say I'm about 70% of the way through. It's called Reign of Ice by the way. So yes in my absence from this story I HAVE been working hard! This story is almost finished as well and I'm trying my best to make it an exciting one for you! But no promises. I've said before that I'm not all that good with fight scenes and I honestly have slogged through even this little bit for weeks trying to make it as good as possible. So in other words this is as good as it was going to get without me taking another month or two to try and churn out another page or two.

The next chapter after this is likely going to be the final one. I'm going to try to tie everything up in there but I may or may not succeed. It's starting to look like it may be two more chapters, but again I'm not sure. So while I'm going to try and make the next one the last chapter I may end up with another one after that, but either way this story is pretty much over. I can't thank you all enough for sticking with this story for so long!

So thank you again for your patience and let's get this party started!

Just like last chapter this is a list of all the Assassin's and which Epitaph's they are modeled after.

Death Reaper = Skeith

Noia = Innis

Servanus = Magus

Tenebris & Lucidus = Fidchell

Atlas & Titan = Gorre

Syrakis = Macha

Hikari = Tarvos

Chaos = Corbenik

Chapter 18: Final Fight

* * *

><p>The network was falling apart faster than the Epitaphs could patch up the holes. Rhodesia and Niketas were busy shouting out orders to the other G.U. staff technicians while the Epitaphs worked as hard as they could to keep the most vital parts of the internet under some semblance of order.<p>

Skeith and Ryou however were busy on another mission. Their goal: wait for the others to find Corbenik and once he was found-or showed up on their digital doorstep-they were to stop him by any means necessary. Their job was to put an end to his ravaging of the internet by whatever means possible. Ryou didn't want to take Corbenik out and wasn't even sure if he could, but at the same time the world was literally coming apart at the seams. _Something_ had to be done. Even if Corbenik wasn't currently himself

Macha had already sent out a virus that forced all weapons facilities and nuclear plants in to offline modes. That way they could still operate safely without suffering severe malfunctions. The last thing they needed was missiles flying around randomly and nuclear reactors overheating and melting down. Still that was like putting a drop of water on a raging wildfire. Satellites had gone silent, the radio only played static, TV's couldn't get a signal, GPS systems had crashed leaving cities with miles and miles of gridlocked traffic since many cars today had autodrive functions that were tied directly to the vehicle's navigation system. Power plants had shut off leaving giant parts of entire countries in the dark. Water systems too had shut down once the electricity shut off leaving billions without water.

The world had been cut off not just from the network but from everyone else in the world as well. No one knew what was going on and those few that did have internet access were primarily hacker groups such as Anonymous who had taken to a few social media sites that were still running. They had also taken to the city streets enmasse to quickly spread the word telling everyone stay calm and most of all stay inside or go home if possible. Social media sites and smaller websites were still up since Corbenik had little interest in those. It was the data of much larger and far more vital entities that he was focusing his attacks on. Still those few websites that were remaining were swiftly going dark as well.

A world that was used to being constantly plugged in and connected now found itself cut off from everyone and everything. No one knew what was going on and surely there must be panic worldwide. Thankfully G.U. had private satellites that were now being used to keep track of Chigusa's machines. They had been planning for the possibility of this event ever since Chigusa and Innis first started creating their machines. Their factories around the world had been churning out robots and machines at a furious pace ever since they first went into operation. However, many of the finished machines had been placed in special locations around the world where they awaited orders from G.U. just like the quadrotors and Howler machines in London.

Most of them were concentrated in major cities but the A.I.'s under G.U.'s direction had been placed in other locations as well. Well before their meeting with the World Network Commission, Rhodesia had been in talks with plane companies around the world getting them to agree to incorporate A.I.'s into the systems of commercial planes. They would not only monitor the plane for damage, mechanical issues, or other problems but they would also be able to take full control of the plane if something happened to the pilot or they lost contact with ground control.

Since Rhodesia had done it before receiving their current level of authority from the WNC it was technically illegal, but now it was quite possibly saving millions of lives. Airports had gone dark and those staff inside air control towers could only watch helplessly as their entire operating system was literally chewed to pieces. So instead the A.I. systems that had been paired up with each large scale commercial planes had taken over and were either continuing on their course or heading for the nearest airport and landing in a slow orderly manner.

In other cities quadrotors, Howlers, and dozens of other types of machines were out on every block helping to keep or maintain order. A.I.'s and A-Life systems had already been trained and prepared for this exact scenario. They would stay in place for however long was necessary and would either work in harmony with the local police or keep them from interfering as the situation called for it. That left G.U. ready and able to focus on containing and stopping Corbenik.

"Do we know where Aihane is now?" Niketas called out and Magus face appeared in one corner of the giant screen at the front of the room.

"In a plane somewhere above the Pacific Ocean last I checked. We've been cut off now, but Raza the A.I. now in control of the plane confirms that Carlos has him in custody and Kuzma Lavrenti says that he will be coming straight here. Innis has already sent Noia, Terra, and the few humans who decided to stay with her to the airstrip they will be landing at. Covertly of course but they'll be there and they will keep Aihane from escaping anywhere while we deal with this mess and the network reboot," Magus answered before being shoved aside by Macha.

"We've lost contact with the other machines and only have limited contact with the Assassins. However, Innis says that they are already aware of what needs to be done. Magus and I will keep the G.U. Servers and computer mainframe up and running for as long as possible. Fidchell, Gorre, and Tarvos are safe with Ren and Kisho over in London and Skeith is on standby, ready to fight. Servanus has gone back to his patrols of the ocean and Hikari is flying at top speed. Current estimates are 20 minutes until she is in range and will be able to transfer Aura to the G.U. System," Macha paused for a moment and leaned closer to the screen, her oval cat eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"Are you _sure_ that this is going to work? We already know that Aura is going to die. There's little she can do now to fix the network and we don't have time to figure out if she might possibly be saved when the world is coming apart at the seams even as we speak," Macha pointed out as Magus complained off-screen.

"We may not be able to save Aura and she may not be able to save the network directly, but she _can _save Corbenik and there is a chance that he is able to save the internet. We know about his rebirth ability already, but what we don't know is how that ability has been changed or enhanced by the incorporation of AIDA into his primary data," Niketas explained as he adjusted his sunglasses a bit. "This is a rather large shot in the dark, but this is the first, last, and only chance that we have. Our plan of action is to transfer Aura here after which she will be handed over to Skeith. He will absorb what is left of her and then use her data to fix Corbenik's corrupted data by force. I honestly don't know all the details. Skeith is the one that suggested this plan of action and assures us that it's possible," he added as Ryou opened one eye and glanced over at him before shutting it again so he could focus and talk to Skeith. He wasn't really listening and would probably need to have what was being said repeated to him later on.

Macha's eyes slid over to the long desk row of computers where Ryou and Chigusa were sitting together and she hummed to herself. Backing up a bit she let Magus back onscreen with her.

"Don't worry we got this!" Magus said giving them all a thumbs up. Macha rolled her eyes and turned away to her security duties.

"I sure hope so. Even if it does work and the network reboots we don't know how long it will take. The world could be sitting in an internet blackout for hours or days. This is a big operation and we only get one shot. Aihane has been captured and now Corbenik is operating on his own. We can't say for sure what he will or will not do. Be careful during that fight Ryou. We already know Corbenik's data is like acid to anything it touches, but we don't know how that will affect you as a human connected to an Epitaph," Niketas added and it took a moment but Ryou finally raised a hand in acknowledgement but didn't open his eyes.

"Chigusa?" Rhodesia asked looking down at the young woman. She and Ryou had taken chairs in the back and were sitting just to her right.

"All alloted machines are in place and all the Assassin's are at their assigned posts as well. This will be their first time being out of touch with Innis and possibly G.U. since we'll likely go down as well, but they've been preparing for this and they all know what to do. A.I.'s and A-Life systems both," Chigusa assured her as she rubbed one of her arms nervously. She was worried about her brother and sister. Ren and Kisho were still in London after all and while Tenebris, Lucidus, and Chaos were working hard to keep any bombs from falling on innocent victims there were still missile bearing planes flying over the major city. One of them could easily go astray or a jet could malfunction and go down right on top of a building. Ren and Kisho's lives were now in the hands of the very machines she had made.

"How are things going in London?" Niketas asked with a glance back over his shoulder at Chigusa who was now chewing on her fingernails with worry. She noticed what she was doing and quickly put her hand down.

"Another wave of jets and missiles came a short while ago but now with the internet being chewed up by Corbenik like this they're starting to malfunction and go down all around the city. All of them are trying their best but..." Chigusa stopped and swallowed hard, "...but there's a good chance there might be casualties. I've run through a lot of scenarios and technically speaking they should mop everything up just fine but... but things could always go differently in real life," she added rubbing her hands together in her lap. Ryou opened his eyes and leaned over so he could put his arm around her.

"Don't worry. They won't let you down. Ren and Kisho will be fine and they'll call you the first chance they get after all this is over," Ryou assured her and she nodded and put her head down on his shoulder.

They were interrupted when another window popped up in the corner of the larger screen. It was Tomonari from his apartment upstairs. A couple of hours before this mess with Corbenik first started he had fought and argued and pleaded with everyone from Rhodesia and Niketas to Reiko and Kaoru trying to get them to let him off his mandatory hospital rest and be directly involved in the effort. However, the G.U. leaders had outright refused, Reiko had made an excuse about having to go and contact her Avatar Tarvos and Kaoru had actually smirked and said that he was currently on business from Rhodesia and closed the video link before Tomonari could say anything else. Finally Magus locked the doors to his apartment and threatened to keep them that way for the entire length of Tomonari's recovery which was another week. So now Tomonari was forced to settle for a video link that tied him in to what everyone else was doing downstairs in the high security areas.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're ready to go. Aura is here and she's heading downhill fast. If we don't get this done now there may not be enough left of her to do anything with," Reiko spoke up suddenly from her spot at a computer next to Kaoru.

Ryou straightened up and grabbed the latest style of headset that was sitting in front of him. Thanks to his close bond with Skeith he technically didn't need it to access the internet anymore, none of the Epitaph Users did, but it was still a force of habit.

"Okay. I'll do my best but I'm not making any definite promises," Ryou commented as he shifted in his seat to get more comfortable. Putting the headset on he took a deep breath and dove into the system.

* * *

><p>When Ryou next opened his eyes he was fully connected to Skeith. It was a strange but awesome feeling to be in his Avatar's body like this. They were truly one being right now. Flexing their claws, Ryou looked up to see Macha coming over with Aura's limp form in her arms. In the middle of the area was a giant swirling shape of data representing everything on the G.U. servers and all around them was a light green wall representing the last computer firewall.<p>

"She doesn't have much time left," Macha said looking down at her. Aura opened her eyes and managed a weak smile.

"Don't worry about me. Just stop Corbenik. You're the only one who can fix this, Skeith. He doesn't know what he's doing anymore. Corbenik is lost but I know you can bring him back. You can fix him," Aura whispered softly and they had to lean in to hear her.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Aura? If I absorb your data... there's little chance that we'll be able to bring you back, although we are going to try our best," Skeith warned her and Aura closed her eyes and nodded slowly as the edges of her white dress started to crumble away. After a moment, Aura opened her eyes again although it was clear she had little strength left.

"I have no problem with sacrificing myself. All I wanted, all I ever wanted was for The World to be a safe haven for A.I.'s. I wanted a place where we could live together peacefully with humans," Aura responded softly. "That's it. That's all I wanted, but the humans started to depend on me more and more. They didn't want some peaceful A.I. floating around minding her own business. They needed a better way to control the data flow of the network so they could ease the strain on it," she continued pausing for another moment this time longer. "I never wanted to be their Goddess or just some tool put in place to help make the internet run more smoothly," this time she looked over at Skeith and reached her hand out to him.

"I'm tired... I'm just so tired. I'm tired of running. I'm tired of humans trying to use me for their own ends. I'm just... so... tired," Aura whispered her eyes closing again.

"Don't worry, Aura. We'll find a way to bring you back and when we do G.U. will make sure that you are never taken advantage of again," Ryou promised her and Aura mouth twitched up slightly in a smile.

"I have heard humans make many promises before... let's... hope you can... keep yours," Aura replied weakly and now Skeith interrupted.

"Time's up we need to do this now," Skeith said as his hands and claws started to glow and streams of data curled around them. Seconds later Aura's body started to glow and peel apart as she was absorbed and assimilated into Skeith's body. While he was working as fast as possible there was still a huge amount of data left for him to take in. The Epitaphs may have grown more intelligent and more complicated but Aura was still the most complex artificial life form ever created.

"Running out of time here," Macha growled at him as the green firewall surrounding them flashed and red lines appeared across it. That meant it had picked up a threat. Corbenik still had over a dozen other firewalls to get through, but his data was so corrosive that there was no telling how quickly he might be able to push through.

"I'm working as fast as I can here. Besides isn't it your job to keep Corbenik out?" Skeith fired back as he continued absorbing Aura's data. He was getting close to halfway through now.

"I'm the last line of defense in case _you_ fail and G.U. needs time to save what data they can before Corbenik eats it all and destroys it. It's your job to stop him before that happens so that Magus and I are unnecessary," Macha replied looking over at the firewall with a frown. Magus was on the far side of the G.U. data sphere behind them keeping an eye out for danger.

"Over halfway through now..." Skeith said in a more somber tone as he stared down at Aura's vanishing body in his claws. G.U. had already planned on trying to bring Aura back. It had never been tried before, but in theory if her data was still part of Skeith then there should be a way to pull it back out and restore it thus bringing Aura back good as new. Of course it hadn't been tested yet and they didn't fully understand all of Corbenik's abilities. If Skeith's data was permanently damaged in some way then it could destroy any chances they had of bringing Aura back.

Time seemed to drag on forever as Skeith finished and allowed a few more minutes so that his body could fully sort through and assimilate the massive amount of data. When the process was finally done the green firewall around them had added yellow and orange warning alerts to the red ones already there.

"You ready to do this?" Ryou asked and Skeith whipped out both his scythes and twirled them around.

"Let's go get Corbenik back," the Avatar responded and he shot forward and sliced through the fire wall ahead of them. It sealed up seamlessly behind them and they continued on through the other firewalls in the same way. When they came out from the last one they barely had time to react before Corbenik was on them.

Right away Skeith brought his scythes up as Corbenik lunged forward and grabbed them with his webbed hands.

"Sorry to disappoint, but you're rampage ends right here," Skeith snarled as two empty blue points of light stared out from inside the shark skull on Corbenik's head. The Avatar hissed and backed off. His body was covered in short uniform ridges like shark skin but now black AIDA dots bubbled up from them and also filled the empty shark skull like before. Before metal staples had laced his body, now they were popped open leaving gaping mouths filled with teeth all over his body all of them sucking in whatever data they could find.

"Data... need... more data," Corbenik's voice rasped and buzzed as he spoke. His hands twitched and his body trembled like an addict in need of a fix.

"Guess there's no point in trying to catch up on old times then?" Skeith asked as Corbenik pulled off the bony spine running down his back and brandished it as a weapon. The curved fins shifted and the end sharpened until it looked like a harpoon. Ready and waiting to skewer Skeith and Ryou. Just like before during their battle in the crumbling remains of The World, Corbenik attacked first. He pulled back and threw the harpoon forward a long chain made of bone forming behind it out of black dots.

Skeith used one of his scythes to knock it away and fired a round of energy shots at Corbenik who stumbled back from the impact and pulled back on the chain he was holding. He pulled the harpoon back to him and launched himself at Skeith only to have the Avatar slip away evasively. Hissing, Corbenik whipped his harpoon around again to try and impale Skeith. With a flick of his wrist Skeith used one scythe to grab and deflect the harpoon while the other sliced down and cut Corbenik from his shoulder and nearly went clean through his torso. Pulling back, he yanked the scythe back out of the corrupted Avatar's body just as it started to stitch itself back together with long black tendrils.

"This isn't going to be easy. Especially if he can just regenerate like that," Ryou pointed out and Skeith hummed in agreement as Corbenik twisted his body and spun around whirling the harpoon and chain around him as well. Long barbed spikes shot out in all directions. Rather then try to evade, Skeith used both scythes to knock them away. Glancing back quickly, Ryou saw some of the barbed spikes plant themselves in the G.U. firewall and start to dissolve and spread a black virus throughout it. Code flashed across the giant firewall as the G.U. Security systems engaged and visibly began to get rid of the virus.

Wait a minute. Get rid of it? Nothing they had tried so far had been able to so much as slow down the virus so how was it being stopped and erased now?

Immediately Ryou had Skeith open a direct voice line back to Macha.

"Macha! Talk to Rhodesia and find out who wrote that security and anti virus code in the G.U. Firewall and if it was updated recently. I need to know how it managed to stop Corbenik's virus. Every detail and a copy for Skeith to download if possible," he asked her and Macha repeated his request before cutting the line. Just in time for Corbenik to launch himself back at them and slam into them full force. This time he sent them flying backwards.

Corbenik's eyes glowed brighter as the stitches across his chest pulled apart and the toothy mouth there snapped at them. Both he and Skeith were locked hand to hand and Skeith could feel the corrupted data trying to slither and work its way into his body.

_I guess this is what humans mean when they say that something made their skin crawl, _Skeith thought and Ryou rolled his eyes and told him to pay attention. Pushing the other Avatar back he fired a quick round of energy shots into his chest and spun around with both scythes outstretched slashing Corbenik several times. As expected the wounds quickly stitched themselves back up. Rather then fall back Corbenik charged again brandishing his harpoon like a club or a sword. Skeith hooked one scythe around it and pulled it away before slicing the other straight through the middle of Corbenik's body. Once again his body quickly stitched itself back together.

_We can't keep trading shots like this. Corbenik can do a lot more damage to us then we can to him. Trying to weaken him before using Aura's power to try and convert him back isn't going to work. It's all or nothing, _Ryou told his Avatar and Skeith silently agreed.

"Data pack is ready and downloading!" Macha told them and after a few short seconds Skeith's antivirus parameters were updated. Now they shouldn't have to worry as much about being infected by Corbenik. Although they still needed to be careful not to take any unnecessary risks.

_Not here though. We don't know what will happen if it works and I don't want to risk taking out all of the G.U. systems in the process, _Skeith insisted as Corbenik yanked his harpoon back and shifted his eyes from the Avatar to the firewall behind them.

_He's after data. The more the better. Show him that we have Aura's power, her data, and he'll follow us like a dog after a bone, _Ryou commented as Corbenik shifted his body slightly, clearly aiming towards the firewall behind them. Skeith's chest glowed with a brilliant white light and a sphere of compressed data floated out. Immediately the corrupted Epitaph snapped his attention back and leaned forward stretching out one hand eagerly.

"Data... give me more data... give it to me!" Corbenik hissed launching himself forward with a wild and clearly uncoordinated swing of his harpoon, intending to impale Skeith and take the data sphere in front of him. Skeith took the data back into his body and easily dodged the clumsy attack.

"You want it?" Skeith asked as he swung his scythe and opened up a data tear.

"Well come and get it then!" he jumped in and glanced back to see Corbenik following right behind him. Skeith raced along the internet pathways and around website and server hubs, opening data tears and jumping around to different nearby locations. Each jump took them farther and farther away from the G.U. network. Corbenik launched his harpoon as well as black spikes at Skeith whenever he had the chance and it took all of their maneuvering to avoid them.

It didn't take long for Corbenik to grow tired of the chase and stopped following. Upon seeing this, Skeith stopped and turned around to see Corbenik's body expanding and shifting as black AIDA dots poured out from the shark skull on his head and covered his body.

"He's changing into his giant shark form. The same form that nearly ate Macha and completely consumed an entire data sphere leaving nothing but white space behind," Ryou pointed out as Corbenik grew to massive proportions. The open mouths on his body had grown larger and snapped hungrily. Corbenik started to inhale deeply, pulling all the data around them towards his primary mouth. Data also funneled towards the other mouths scattered across his body.

The vacuum started to pull Skeith in right away but instead of trying to pull away, Ryou came up with a different plan.

_Go straight in._

_Excuse me?_

_We have Aura's power now and if we run away then Corbenik could be gone by the time we manage to find our way back. At some point we have to actually use the power she gave to you. I say we try it out right now. Not only could she create A.I.'s but she could also completely reshape them. We can use that ability to destroy Corbenik's transformation and prevent him from doing it again, _Ryou decided and Skeith twirled his scythe around and raced forward towards Corbenik.

_All or nothing._

Skeith dove straight into Corbenik's mouth and deep into his body. It was a chaotic mess of broken data. There were open tears with nothing but static in them and others were just random jumbles of ruined information. The insides of his body started to narrow and Skeith stopped and let the data that was being inhaled flow around him. Closing his eyes, Skeith gathered Aura's power until his body glowed with a bright white light that focused itself in one of his scythes.

"Reformation!" Skeith called out as he slammed the scythe into Corbenik's side. Immediately the Avatar's surrounding body seized violently as the white light spread like wildfire across his insides before the entire body exploded and burst apart. Black AIDA dots floated around as Corbenik fell to his knees. Now his body was covered in white patches that glitched with static. All around them the data sphere and data streams showed similar damage on a far more massive scale as well, but that was from Corbenik's massive data drain attempt.

"Hurts... data hurts... pay for this!" Corbenik snarled summoning his harpoon and charging towards them. He was very unstable and crashed into Skeith more than attacked deliberately and a sharp slice of pain ripped through Skeith's side as the harpoon sliced into him. That was all Corbenik needed and the shark skull covering his head opened its jaws wide and ripped into Skeith's neck. The Avatar was trying to infect Skeith's body with the same virus that was chewing through his own data.

In the real world Ryou felt the pain like knives stabbing into his neck and shoulder but he bit down on his tongue and let out a muffled cry. Stay focused. He had to stay focused. Push through the pain. Corbenik's virus may be purged from Skeith's system thanks to the new update but that would take a little time and meanwhile his attacks were still going to hurt.

Corbenik pulled back and his shark jaws bit down again. This time even harder than before tearing a huge chunk of Skeith's shoulder away and leaving the raw data exposed. In the real world Ryou screamed and clutched his shoulder in pain as other G.U. staff ran to help him. Pulling his arm back Corbenik tightened his grip on his harpoon and plunged it straight through Skeith's chest spreading his virus like black poison.

"Now..._ now_ Skeith..." Ryou choked out at the pain lanced straight through his chest. Skeith grabbed the harpoon with one of his large clawed hands and raised the other one as it started to glow. He gathered all of Aura's power. She could do more than just data drain. She could create an entirely new A.I. or completely rewrite one. Skeith summoned that ability now. The power that would purge the corrupt virus from Corbenik's data and return him to the way he was supposed to be.

Hopefully.

"Give me... give me data!" Corbenik gurgled as he twisted the harpoon and pushed it deeper.

"I'll give you data all right. Time for you to come to your senses, Corbenik!" Skeith slammed his palm into the other Epitaph's chest. For a second neither one moved then Corbenik shuddered and jerked back his body shaking violently. A white light burst from his chest where Skeith hit him and then another burst of light from his back. A burst of energy shot out from his side and then his shoulder. Seizing uncontrollably, Corbenik ripped the harpoon out of Skeith's body and stumbled backwards as the energy started to burn away his body.

Dropping to his knees, Skeith clutched as the gaping hole in his chest and shuddered as Corbenik's virus continued to spread throughout his systems trying to eat away at his body even as the antivirus system tried to get rid of it all. He looked up just in time to see Corbenik's body burst apart the energy washing over him and covering everything in a sea of white light.

* * *

><p>The first thing Ryou recognized was Chigusa. He could feel her arms around him before he even opened his eyes.<p>

"I'd ask if I'm dead but it hurts too much for that," Ryou said painfully as he peeled his eyes open and saw Chigusa's worried gaze staring down at him. Her eyes softened at his words and she shook her head.

"Now. Your body was badly bruised from whatever happened online so you'll be in quite a bit of pain for a while. You're badly injured so you need to be careful," Chigusa said and Ryou grimaced in pain as she helped him to sit up. Waves of pain shot through his chest and just as she said there was a giant purple black bruise on his side and across his chest when he lifted up his shirt to look. It was getting hard to breathe so Ryou let his shirt drop and leaned back against Chigusa until it was easier for him to breathe.

"Did we do it?" Ryou asked looking back at Chigusa who started chewing on her lower lip and got that 'should I tell him?' look on her face. It took a moment before he realized that all the lights were out and only the dim emergency lights in the aisleway were on. All the computer screens were dark as well.

"Skeith?" Ryou asked out loud but in his head there was nothing... nothing but silence.

"The power is down and we assume the internet has collapsed as well."

Ryou and Chigusa looked up to see Kaoru standing there watching them. He was in the computer aisle behind them and was leaning on the low wall behind one of the slim computers.

"I can't contact Macha either. I felt my connection to her cut off suddenly and the power went down milliseconds after I lost contact with her," Kaoru added and pointed a finger. They looked over to see Niketas and Rhodesia talking heatedly. "However, we did know that this would happen. Or at the very least we suspected it. The biggest question now is how long it will take for the internet to reboot and start back up," he added and both he and Chigusa exchanged a look. Of course Ryou noticed and called them out on it.

"Okay guys what's wrong?" he asked with a deep frown as Chigusa got up and put her hands under his armpits and helped him to his feet and back into the chair he had evidently fallen clean out of. Kaoru calmly twisted a strand of hair around his finger as he contemplated what he was going to say. After a moment he replied carefully.

"Due to your battle the internet overloaded and shut down. Corbenik's rebirth ability means that he automatically recovers and restarts no matter how badly he is injured and he can do this almost indefinitely. This effect should spread out to the rest of the network and bring the internet back up all over the world, but..." Kaoru hesitated for a moment and looked over at Chigusa.

"But we don't know if it will activate at all," she answered softly and Ryou felt a chill at that as she looked down at her hands. "Corbenik's data was awfully corrupt. We suspected his rebirth ability was altered so that he immediately recovers from any damage taken, but we've never given him a mortal wound so... we don't know what will happen. Aura's ability should purge the corrupt data from his system and reformat him so that he bonds with Xen's AIDA data the way the other Avatar's did with their AIDA counterparts but... we're just shooting in the dark here. It should work yes... but it could also spread Corbenik's virus throughout the entire internet once it reboots," Chigusa admitted and Ryou groaned and rubbed his forehead.

"So either we fixed everything or we made it ten times worse and the internet will come back up just to be chewed to pieces by Corbenik's virus a few minutes later?" he asked and Kaoru shrugged.

"I say everyone is worrying over nothing. I have faith in Macha and Aura. You should as well," he said straightening up and heading over to where Rhodesia was now standing alone with a deep scowl on her face.

"So what do we do now?" Ryou asked starting to fidget at the uncomfortable feeling of being disconnected from Skeith.

"Now? Now we just wait... and see what happens."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Yeah probably two more chapters left or I'll just make the last one extra long instead of splitting it up. I won't really know until I actually start writing it and I'll try not to make you wait so long for it!

Thank you so much for reading and most of all for being so patient with me!


	19. FINAL CHAPTER: A New Day Dawns

**AN:** It has been a little over a year since I last updated this story which is far too long to make someone wait for a final chapter and this is indeed the end. Nothing else will be posted after this, your waiting is over if you bothered to stick around at all and I wouldn't blame you if you have moved on. So what happened to me? Why did I suddenly drop off the map? TLDR depression stinks and it sucks all the life and joy out of everything. I'm feeling a bit better now but it can still be a daily struggle. But I finally did it! I hammered out this chapter and I hope that it satisfies some of you at least. I did the best I could to show what happens with the world and to show where G.U. is going and what happens with everyone, but at the same time I didn't want to spend 10 pages showing what happens to each character. I hope I struck the right balance as this chapter is over 11,000 words.

Thank you to those who have read and to those who have still stuck around! I could not have done this without your patience, support, understanding, and gentle prompting on tumblr asking me when I was going to post the nice chapter.

So to catch you up on the story: Aihane went to his old friend and they called him an idiot and made a (temporary?) alliance with G.U. Meanwhile all of his AIDA fragments and Fidchell, Tarvos and Gorre escaped and found their way to Ren and Kisho who were sitting tight in London. Aihane got pissed off and put all the plans that he could into motion all at once trying to carpet bomb London and other cities a tactic that was stopped thanks to Chigusa's Assassin machines. Aihane also captured Aura but she was then recaptured by G.U. only to find that she was dying, her data literally chewed up. Then Aihane was captured, Skeith absorbed Aura and promised to find a way to bring her back before going off and slugging it out with Corbenik. During the battle Skeith forced Corbenik to reset the network which made everything grind to a halt. Now everyone is waiting around to see if it worked like it was supposed to.

Just like last chapter this is a list of all the Assassin's and which Epitaph's they are modeled after.

Death Reaper = Skeith

Noia = Innis

Servanus = Magus

Tenebris & Lucidus = Fidchell

Atlas & Titan = Gorre

Syrakis = Macha

Hikari = Tarvos

Chaos = Corbenik

Timeline update: Mid October, Japan

Chapter 19: A New Day Dawns

* * *

><p>Kuzma Lavrenti leaned back in the plush rolling chair and flicked open his lighter with his thumb. After a few clicks a flame popped up and he lit his cigar. He inhaled deeply and then let it out slowly, breathing a cloud of smoke towards his captive. Aihane coughed and choked as he woke up. Immediately he pulled at his wrists but they were securely bound behind his back and there were ropes higher up his arms and around his legs as well to ensure that he couldn't escape anywhere. Standing calmly behind him was Carlos who adjusted his cowboy hat a bit before smoothing out his mustache. A second later he walked over and checked the camera that was set up and currently filming them before going back to his spot behind Aihane and leaning back against the wall. He had a taser and pistol holstered on his hips as extra security.<p>

"Look at who is finally awake. Not that you've had much choice. We had to sedate you otherwise you likely would have tried to escape. Failed of course but tried nonetheless. We can't have you hurting yourself before your scheduled execution after all," Kuzma said puffing on his cigar a bit more. Uncrossing his legs, Kuzma leaned forward wrinkling his crisp black suit a little. "Make sure to smile for the camera. G.U. is watching. Not live but they will be getting this as a recording in short order so try not to be too dour would you?" he picked a small hair off Aihane's dirty shirt and flipped it away.

"What... what are you doing? You've had me in here for... for weeks now. I'm your friend. Your partner! I'm trying to create a world where humans and artificial intelligence can coexist. If things continue on like this then humans and artificial intelligence... artificial life forms like the Epitaphs will either destroy us or end up causing their own destruction. Something must be done! This is for the good of everyone!" Aihane screamed wildly at him, pulling ineffectively at his restraints while doing so.

Kuzma sighed heavily and tapped the ash from his cigar into an ashtray on the small wooden table to his right. "We may have been partners once but we were never friends. Those in positions as I rarely allow ourselves such luxuries. I'm far too wise and far too rich to believe that anyone who gets close to me is simply looking to get to know me better. I may be old Borislav but I am not senile," he commented enjoying his cigar. After a moment he continued, "Besides you have far outlived your usefulness. So much talent gone to waste on frivolous dreams and grand fantasies," he added with a snort. Aihane flushed and strained again against his bonds in anger.

"You are a fool to believe that any one man could go about the way you have without being checked at some point. Did you honestly think you would get away with this? No one person or group of people alone could change the world in such away without someone else rising up to stop them. This isn't some science fiction novel or entertainment show. This is reality and you have evidently lost touch with it. Those young tech heads over in G.U. have a far better sense of where this world is going then you ever did. They aren't seeking to control the Epitaphs, instead they work with them and the Avatar's have responded to that. Grown and blossomed under the caring eyes of their partners. By treating them with respect G.U. has won over the loyalty of these synthetic beings in a way that your idea never would have. Did you think that by enslaving them they would just turn around and thank you for your protection?" Kuzma asked, disbelief coloring is voice. Tapping the ash off his cigar he put it back to his mouth and silently stared Aihane down.

"Did you know that the plan up until some weeks ago was simply for our two groups to avoid each other? Xing Bei, Carlos over there, myself and the others of our little group were all in agreement with Rhodesia and Niketas from G.U. We leave them alone and they leave us alone. No need for anyone to get in the others way. Then something surprising happened just over a week ago. All of the Epitaphs approached us personally to offer a compromise. They too wish for a world where humans and A.I.'s or synthetic lifeforms as they no doubt will be known in the future, can coexist. However, for them to truly learn about and understand humans they must be allowed to interact with them. Unfortunately for them humans can be a rather skittish lot and G.U.'s influence may be growing but it is still not quite enough. They requested our help... well our money and influence mostly. A formal and officially written joint partnership between us, them, and G.U.," Kuzma explained a fond smile spreading across his lips as he thought about it.

"You see the Epitaphs can be rather childlike in their understanding at times but the catch is that they realize it. They know they are still woefully uneducated when it comes to some of their dealings with humans and if they, the most advance synthetic beings on the planet know that then what does that say about all the lesser A.I.'s being tested in customer service centers or fielding requests online? Their numbers are going to grow and if they do not understand the humans they are living with and who are using the network then we are going to run into another serious crisis sooner rather then later. The Epitaphs already have G.U. firmly behind them but they need the support of others if their plan is to work. Either by agreement or by force. None of them have any qualms about manipulating others to the benefit of the many but they also realize that more legal means are preferable and longer lasting," Kuzma drew on his cigar and blew the smoke in Aihane's face making him cough and sputter.

"That is where we come in. Legally G.U. is now in charge of all advanced artificial intelligence and can dictate how it is or is not to be used. This includes robotics and machines. Of course there is a certain intelligence standard that must be met but that's not the point. That law just barely passed but it and the resulting loopholes it created were enough to allow Chigusa to plant her machines in a various metropolitan areas around the world and have them operate of their own free will. Now that the news networks and some major channels are back up you can turn on any broadcast and watch as three robotic dragons fly around the London skies coordinating rescue, clean up, food delivery, road repair and even capture those criminals who bombed the place and then tried to escape. Werewolf-like robots stalk the streets and drones patrol the skies preventing crime and coming to the aide of those in trouble. While officials first screamed in horror with cries that a robot apocalypse was surely incoming, cities around the world are now practically begging for the same as their own justice systems prove woefully inadequate or far too harsh in their methods at controlling the chaos and meeting the needs of the people. I find it delightfully amusing myself... but you know the best part?" Kuzma leaned forward in his chair.

"These machines are_ learning_. Chigusa and Innis, the creators of these fascinating machines and the synthetic life forms that operate them, has sent over a the graph showing how they viewed different aspects of humanity and social structure before and how they view them now after having had direct and sustained interaction with human beings for a few weeks. I must tell you the shift is so dramatic that I had to review it several times and shared it with the others of our group to verify its accuracy. Even the news networks have picked up on it. The more these beings interact with humans the more understanding and empathetic they become towards us. That fact alone is starting to shift people's opinions which is unquestionably vital, but it is the laws we must affect and change if further progress is to be made. That is where our support comes in. Too bad you won't be there to see it Borislav," Kuzma nodded to Carlos who walked over and grabbed a headset from a table behind the camera tripod.

"Sure we could just let the authorities handle the matter but as I said before... I'm rich and you've already corrupted so many politicians that the world governments will be stuck just dealing with that for years before they ever get around to even trying to throw authority figures from G.U. behind bars. Which won't work because they've covered their tracks very nicely. That woman Rhodesia is a genius I tell you and those kids are fortunate to have her and Niketas as their allies. Look at me getting off track again. The point my dear Aihane is that I have neither the time nor the patience to hand you over to the so called 'proper authorities' and wait on them to punch it out and decide what of hundreds of counts to actually convict you on. By the time they decide I'll be dead and my riches parceled out. Besides the Epitaphs made it quite clear that you belong to them and I would really rather not have to get on their bad side. I would rather like to hang on to my final years of life thank you very much," Kuzma waved over Carlos who smirked and roughly slapped the headset down over Aihane's head.

"Wha... what are you doing? Don't do this to me! We can figure this out!" Aihane fervently demanded as Carlos rolled his eyes and pressed a small button on the side of the slim headset to turn it on. An orange light on the side flickered on and blinked rapidly before turning to a slow blinking green light and then a steady blue on as it connected to the network.

"Don't worry though. Our fair world will manage to get along and repair itself quite well without you around to mess things up even more then they already are," Kuzma took a deep breath and nodded in finality. "Goodbye... Borislav Cedomir."

* * *

><p>Everyone in the room visibly flinched as Borislav Cedomir, known more commonly to them as Aihane, let loose a soul tearing scream and started thrashing back and forth until he pulled the chair over onto its side. His body shook violently as his screams intensified until they were finally cut off sharply and unnaturally. A moment later Carlos reappeared on screen and reached down to touch Aihane's neck. He waited a few long seconds before nodding and standing back up. Kuzma put his cigar down on the ash tray and looked deliberately into the camera.<p>

"Justice is served as they say. The Epitaphs wanted him and none of us were about to deny them. As for what they did... well I would think that you are in a better position to answer that then I am wouldn't you? Either way Borislav Cedomir is dead and his body will be cremated. Best to be sure about these things. While I have no doubts about your Avatar's abilities it would not be the first time someone I helped to get rid of _mysteriously_ rose from the dead. Until next time G.U. I look forward to our future partnership together. A partnership that would not have happened had your Epitaphs not approached us about it. Do thank them for me," Kuzma said with perfect calmness as if the death of a former colleague didn't bother him at all. In all actuality it probably didn't.

Ryou shuddered and felt Chigusa curl closer to him with a shiver of her own. He grabbed his cappuccino and took a long swig to try and cover up the bad taste the video left in his mouth. Major infrastructure like power, water and major news networks came back up within the first week of the Network Crisis. Phones were still spotty though and text messages could still end up being delayed by hours or days. Airplanes were severely restricted with some people getting priority while everyone else had to wait and pray that they would get a call that a seat was open and the plane going in the general direction they wanted. Food and other material deliveries had resumed although some luxuries were very limited or all but impossible to find. Ryou had manage to grab three cappuccinos this morning, one for Chigusa and the other for him and the last for free simply for being nice to the cashier after the guy in front of him got pissed off. He got them only because he had been willing to stand in line for two hours waiting for the shop down the street to open up. It was worth every second of waiting around too.

Now Ryou took another sip to try as he tried to figure out how he felt about this. His hand reflexively went up to the side of his head where he still had a scar from being shot by Chigusa's stepdad. Everyone else looked disturbed as well. Rhodesia tapped the display on the table and shut off the video. For a while everyone was silent until Kaoru spoke up.

"Well what else did everyone expect? We already knew that the Epitaph's were never going to let him live after everything he did to them. Macha was ready to chase him down and I know Skeith and Innis were out for blood after he nearly got Ryou and Chigusa killed," Kaoru said running his fingers through his long bleached hair.

"I know, I know its just... its still weird actually seeing it _happen_ like that. What did Skeith do to him? I mean that was Skeith right?" Tomonari asked hesitantly. His short hair was now dyed green and gold after Magus. Kisho had convinced him to be bold and get it done. Likewise Reiko had died her long hair in shades of pink and purple after Tarvos. Even Chigusa had cut her hair short and dyed it in Innis colors and had even gotten a nose piercing. The new more punk-ish look was courtesy of her brother and sister's influence had really boosted her attitude and self-confidence all of which Ryou thought was pretty hot.

"Yes that was definitely Skeith along with Tarvos and Gorre's help. As for what he did he basically overloaded Aihane's brain until it just... melted down and took the rest of his body along with it. I would rather not get into the details. He's dead and we finally have a chance to rest and really recover. For a little bit at least. I know there's still a lot we have to do," Ryou explained noticed Reiko's silence. She knew what had been done to Aihane's brain as well and her expression likewise said that she would rather not dwell on the gruesome details.

"True is that. More busy now than ever. Much there is for G.U. to answer for but wait a few days that can. Want everyone to take two weeks off I do. No arguments. Spend time alone, with each other, with the Epitaph's... doesn't matter. Just no work, understand?" Rhodesia commanded giving them all a firm glare. Ryou certainly had no problem with that although it might be harder to drag Chigusa away from her precious machines. He loved that she enjoyed working and engineering so much he just wished she would stop to breathe every once in a while.

Niketas nodded in agreement and stood up.

"Everyone is dismissed for now. Be good, try not to get into any trouble and if someone ends up in a life threatening situation then call someone other then me or Rhodesia. I plan on taking two weeks off just like you all. Do not call me unless the world is threatening to fall apart again," Niketas said adjusting his shades before pointedly taking his phone out and turning it all the way off. Rhodesia rolled her eyes at him.

"Be checking in occasionally I will. Have your Epitaph call me if something important you need," Rhodesia said gratefully accepting the fancy cappuccino that Chigusa leaned across the table to give her.

With the meeting thus concluded Reiko and Tomonari walked out together discussing something about the current state of affairs and how network recovery around the world was going. Tomonari had been trying for a while to ask Reiko out to dinner or something but had finally gotten the hint that she wasn't interested in dating anyone when she unequivocally put her foot down. Technically she said she was not interested or available "right now" and emphasized that point. Tomonari had backed off since then and as a result they had been getting along a lot and had become closer friends. Niketas for his part got up and walked out with a noticeable bounce to his step. Ryou went to stand up but stopped when Chigusa grabbed his arm and leaned over to speak to him.

"Macha says that Kaoru has been meaning to speak with you. I'm going to go upstairs and see if I can get a good connection so we can talk to Kisho and Ren over in London and tell them the news," Chigusa explained as Kaoru shot a glance over their way. Rhodesia was busy fiddling with something on the table's display screen.

"Okay see you up there in a minute," Ryou said watching her walk out. As expected Kaoru came over shortly after and Ryou walked out with him. He stopped shortly down the hallway which was empty save for Chigusa's retreating form.

"You needed something?" Ryou asked curiously as Kaoru stood there playing with his hair and glancing back towards the room.

"It's pretty apparent that Rhodesia... has feelings for me," Kaoru began awkwardly although Ryou silently thought that he was being awfully conservative with that choice of words. Rhodesia certainly wasn't being forceful but at the same time she had made it all too clear that she liked him.

"Did you want advice?" Ryou hesitantly suggested and Kaoru nodded slowly while staring down at his shoes.

"I've only ever loved Macha and I still do but not like... not like that and back when I did it was hardly a healthy relationship. I can realize that now. She is my friend and my closest companion still and she thinks Rhodesia would be a good match for me but I... I'm not sure what to do about it. I don't like going out or doing fancy things," Kaoru said with a grimace. While he had come far and opened up more he was still very introverted and only ventured out when he had to. Ryou thought about that for a moment wanting to choose his answer carefully.

"The person you care about should be your best friend. Someone you can trust and confide in more than anyone else," Ryou began trying to come up with an analogy that Kaoru could relate to, "And obviously best friends like doing things together right? Think back to your time in The World. The first version where you were Elk and played with that version of Macha all the time. Sure you went on big adventures and quests right? But you didn't do that all the time did you?" he asked watching as Kaoru lifted his eyes and considered that for a moment.

"No... sometimes we would just wander around collecting stuff or just sit and watch to see what other players were doing," he said thoughtfully.

"Exactly. Sure in a relationship you certainly want to do things together and making big plans is fine, but you don't do that all the time do you? Think of when you have a best friend. Someone you're really close with. Sometimes you plan big trips and go out to fancy places and other times you just sit around watching the latest show on the network or play video games together. You know Rhodesia is a reasonable person and she would never force you to do something you're not comfortable with. Why not start small and then work your way up? If she really cares about you then she'll be patient right?" Ryou asked as an idea came to him. Kaoru usually had food from the kitchens or one of the in building restaurants above city level delivered to his room rather then having to go out.

"She loves documentaries doesn't she? Why not order something to eat and watch a show together. Then one day when you're feeling up to it you could go to one of the restaurants at city level upstairs. Pick a time when its nice and quiet and there won't be as many people around. I think she'd like that," Ryou suggested feeling pleased when he saw Kaoru visibly perk up at those suggestions.

"I could do that. She mentioned the other day how much she wanted some sushi. I could get some seafood for her and something vegetarian for me. But... don't girls like flowers?" Kaoru asked looking worried again.

"_Some_ girls like flowers, some don't. I've seen you making origami once before. Why not make one of those and give it to her? Something from her native country to remind her of home," Ryou offered and Kaoru thought for a moment and then nodded.

"I could do that. I can do that. Thank you, Ryou. You have been a very good friend to me," he said shaking his hand gratefully.

"And hopefully I will be for years to come. Our work isn't done here just yet," Ryou reminded him before stepping back to let him go. Kaoru took a deep breath and headed back into the conference room. When Ryou leaned around to peek inside he could see Rhodesia still in there looking up something.

_Well aren't you smooth? When did that happen? Must have been my influence, _Skeith's voice sounded in his head. Ryou snorted and turned to go back up to the room he now shared with Chigusa.

_Excuse me? You? Smooth? You must be talking about someone else. Besides aren't you supposed to be working yourself? Repairing the internet and all that from the damage that was done? _Ryou asked as he stopped at the elevator and pressed the call button.

_All the major infrastructure is back in place and fixed like new. Smaller connections are reforming thanks to Corbenik's influence but it will still be another week or so before the smaller nodes and websites on the internet start seeing more stability. Besides weren't we told to take some time off? Epitaph's deserve a break as well. Besides I have a party to get to. We're welcoming Corbenik back into the fold so to speak. You're invited too by the way so try not to be too late,_ Skeith responded as a chime sounded and the elevators doors opened. Ryou stepped inside and hit the number for his floor.

_So it worked? Corbenik is healed? Really and completely healed? _Ryou asked as the doors closed and the elevator smoothly went up.

_More or less. The corrupted data was purged from his system and he is finally the way he should have been with Xen's AIDA data perfectly integrated into his own systems. Mentally he still has a lot to recover from. Corbenik has been put through a lot. His body may be stable but his mind needs time to heal. The same goes for Fidchell, Gorre and Tarvos. Being enslaved to Aihane has not been easy and G.U. is almost completely different from how it was when they first left. They will need time to settle in and your support along the way. It would not surprise me at all if their trust in humans was stretched thin right now. You'll have to be patient with them, _Skeith explained.

_I'll make sure to keep that in mind. If there's anything I can do to help just let me know and tell Shino and Masato I said hello. Hopefully we'll be able to get them back on dry land sooner rather then later, _Ryou added. Rhodesia had filled them in on everything that had been going on with Shino and Masato and it was a pretty crazy ride for them as well. Right now they were safe out at sea on the carrier ship and had enough food to last them for years. Technically both of them were still wanted for various criminal charges that the G.U. legal team was working hard to clear up. There was no doubt that they could absolve them of any wrongdoing and provide evidence that they were innocent of any crimes but it would take time. As soon as things were ironed out they would be back in Japan and here at G.U. Apparently both of them had readily agreed to join. Ryou looked forward to seeing his former friend and mentor again.

Until then however there was something else that he had to do. Time to tell Kisho and Ren the news. Good thing they were still sitting over in London with their hosts so Ren couldn't throttle the two of them.

* * *

><p>"<em>You got married?!<em>" Ren shrieked so loudly it made the computer speakers squeal and buzz in protest. Beside her Kisho sighed and rubbed his forehead. Skype was back up although they were having serious load problems from all the people making new accounts and trying to contact their families. It was one of the few services currently up and (somewhat) running so it had attracted a ton of new business from those still having trouble with their phones or other internet services. They had managed to get a stable enough video connection for them to call their little sister, Chigusa back in Japan. Although there were flights running again, Rhodesia had requested that they stay in London for the meantime until the skies cleared more. So for the moment they were helping to oversee relief operations here in London. They had just started the video call when Chigusa blurted out the news.

Ren gaped at the computer screen in shock as Kisho nudged her chair and then finally just pushed her out of the way, letting her chair roll off to the side. For once she didn't fire back a sharp comment as Kisho leaned forward and stared at Chigusa who was blushing a vibrant shade of red while Ryou sat there beside her. He had one arm around the back of her chair and was uncomfortably rubbing the back of his neck with the other as he stared somewhere off-screen.

"Married? No ceremony? No white dress? I mean I could have put white streaks in my hair and worn my nice long floaty skirt and everything," Kisho said with one eyebrow raised curiously. Ren snapped out of her stunned daze and clawed her way back over in front of the computer screen nearly knocking Kisho clean out of his chair as she pulled her own back over. Slamming her hands down on the table she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"_Oh my god you're pregnant!_" she said in horror and Ryou who had been taking a sip from his cappuccino snorted and choked. Chigusa pounded him on the back until he found his voice and sputtered out a reply.

"_No, she is not pregnant!_ We never... well I mean at least not until we got..." Ryou fumbled around as Kisho grinned at him.

"Awww you waited until the wedding night. That's so sweet."

"_That's not the point!" _Ryou shouted back and Chigusa sighed and interrupted the two of them.

"Would you listen for a minute!" she cut in with a frown on her face. Ren scowled and settled down as Ryou looked away again.

"This is like the fourth network crisis we've been through. We've seen people stuck online, die online _and_ in the real world, Ryou got shot at by my adoptive father and would have been killed by him if not for Skeith's intervention, I nearly died myself not long after that because of Aihane and AIDA, we've all risked our lives in dozens of other ways and there's no telling what might happen in the future or what we might have to deal with next," Chigusa sternly told them as a reminder. "I just..." she paused for a moment and looked over at Ryou who was now sporting a rather embarrassed blush of his own despite his crossed arms and dark scowl.

"I just don't want to wait anymore. I don't want to put things on hold because I'm afraid of what might happen or what we might be asked to do or what crisis must come up next. I want this. Besides Ryou's improved a lot over the past year. I know he'll treat me right," she added as a teasing smirk started to pull across her lips. All of them knew that Ryou could be quite the romantic but he only showed that side to Chigusa. Ren leaned in closer to the screen and pointed her index finger in warning.

"You had _better_ treat her right because if you make her shed so much as one frustrated tear I'm going to break your kneecaps, understand?" Ren threatened and Ryou rolled his eyes and put his arm back around Chigusa.

"Don't worry I'm not going to let anything happen to her. Not again," Ryou promised and leaned over to kiss her cheek. Chigusa blushed this time only to have Kisho ruin the romantic moment by unceremoniously shoving Ren out of his way.

"You had better make sure of that," Kisho added then paused for a moment, "Are you sure you're not going to have a ceremony anyway? I've really been looking for a reason to wear that skirt..."

"Ryou and I will think about it. Now don't we have other matters to discuss right now?" Chigusa interrupted with a slight frown as she tried to get the conversation back on the track it was supposed to be on in the first place. "How is..." she stopped and blanched, "How are both of you doing?" she offered up instead. She was of course referring to Ren and her current medical condition. Albeit in a more roundabout way.

Glancing over across the room, Kisho saw that Ren had left and was once again reaching for her pill bottles so she could meticulously count out each and every pill. She had been doing that several times a day ever since the attack here on London.

"You already know that stress can aggravate her schizophrenia and things have been pretty crazy around here, but we're doing pretty well compared to many of those in the city. Our hosts have been very gracious and have expressed more interest in helping to support G.U. Staying busy helps keep both of us occupied. We'll be okay. This is nothing we can't handle. I'll make sure she stays safe. We still have to shop for a good wedding present for you two after all," Kisho calmly assured her with a smirk.

"Also Sentou and Akira, still known online as Kite and Blackrose have arrived here as well to help with the cleanup efforts and to monitor how the various machines are working alongside humans. That's the official story at least. Sentou has been having some doubts about his work with G.U. so apparently Niketas sent him over here as a lesson in just now vital our work is now. I've checked in on him and he seems to have had a nice change of heart. He certainly looks less conflicted and irritated now at least," Kisho said changing the subject. Chigusa didn't look totally convinced but she let it go.

"Okay... but be careful. I know my Assassin's are still there flying around and keeping everyone safe and all but still just watch out for yourselves. I love you," Chigusa said blowing him a kiss before closing the connection. Kisho tried to check his email but only got an error message and several server overload warnings before the window crashed completely.

Sighing, Kisho shut down the laptop and closed the top. Looking over to his left he saw Ren still obsessively counting out her pills with meticulous care. Standing up he walked over and put his hands down on her shoulders. She froze for a moment before going back to her counting.

"I know I have enough but I just... I still have to _make sure_ you know? What if I run out? What if I miscounted? What if they get lost at the airport or they wont let me take them on the plane and we get stuck somewhere and I don't have them for my scheduled times or..." Ren rambled on her hands trembling on the table before Kisho leaned down and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

"You're going to be okay. You are _not_ going to relapse. We are going to get home to Japan and you are not going to run out of medication. Not now and not later. I know things are chaotic right now but in another week or so we'll be on a plane. You know we can always get G.U. to pull some strings if they give us trouble with your medication. Besides they have months worth of all your meds stocked up back at G.U. headquarters. Just for you," Kisho reminded her like he always did when she got upset. Nodding slowly she fiddled nervously with the cap on one of the medication bottles.

"Come on. Let's get you some tea and spend time with our gracious hosts Karim and Aaliyah. If we play our cards right we just might have some new private sponsors helping out G.U. and I know they're interested in learning more about what we do. Might as well kill some time showing off our hacking skills, right?" Kisho offered up as a distraction. She tilted her head back and gave him a slit eyed look knowing full well what he was doing.

"Fine whatever. I know you're just trying to distract me from my impending schizophrenic breakdown," Ren muttered pessimistically as she started putting the pills back into their proper bottles. It had been close to a year since her last hospitalization and he knew that she was getting more and more nervous and stressed out about it the more time passed which only increased her chances of having a breakdown. Still he loved her dearly and did his best to assure her that they would deal with that when the time came.

Kisho kissed her cheek and ruffled her hair. "Quit being so negative. We'll starve or get robbed long before that ever happens."

"Have I ever said how much I hate you?"

"Occasionally."

Both of them were quiet for a moment before Ren tilted her head back to look up at her twin.

"So how long do you think they've been secretly married? I give it a few weeks," she asked curiously and Kisho sniffed and picked the polish on one of his fingernails.

"Oh, please. Knowing Ryou I'm saying a few months by now," he countered.

"Wanna bet?"

"Only if you're prepared to lose."

* * *

><p>Abigail fidgeted and shifted back and forth. They had all made it to Japan but instead of going to G.U. or receiving a visit from a representative they had trailed along with a vehicle caravan to this underground warehouse. Sure they had been able to wash up, change clothes, and get some good food for once but there was little to no information forthcoming. That was a month ago. The network had fallen apart since then and the nations were now trying to figure out what happened even as they pieced their nations back together.<p>

_One minute I'm just a soldier in the desert who specializes in computer and electronic communications. Sure I'm driving around in a giant military humvee that can talk back to me and make snarky comments but still I had a bright future and maybe even some good promotions if I played my cards right, _Abigail thought as she let out a heavy sigh and laid back down, stretching herself across the front seat of Terra's cabin. _Now I'm in Japan, large portions of the network are still patchy and unreliable at best, and I've been given an offer by a robot that not only houses an incredibly advanced and sentient A.I. but can also assemble a sniper rifle and shoot it with pinpoint accuracy far faster than I can, _she closed her eyes and tried to block out the memories of what happened. The missiles. The giant machines with their blazing heat beams turning the desert sands to glass.

Of course if she was looking for a comfortable place to rest then Terra's cabin probably wasn't the best place to do it. Sitting up she grumbled to herself and tried to look out the front window but the hood was still up. With little else to do but sit around Alex and Noia had decided to work on a new voice upgrade for Terra. It would allow her to talk to them with a customized voice. They should be running the first few tests any minute now.

Noia, the gun slinging machine may have no problem sitting around patiently for long periods of time but humans needed to stay busy. Harry wanted nothing to do with any of this and just wanted to go home. He had already been cleared for passage back to his home and would be leaving today. G.U. had already discussed things with his head officers as well as detailing what was and was not confidential. They were clearly planning on revealing more of their plans very soon but until then they didn't want reports of giant laser wielding scorpion robots all over social media. Although Abigail guessed that it wouldn't be more than a couple weeks wait for such an announcement seeing as A.I. controlled machines and drones were already walking, creeping, and flying through the narrow Japanese streets providing material aide and assistance. Not to mention all the other cities around the world.

For now though Abigail was sitting around thinking of ordering some takeout while an upgrade was installed on Terra. It would improve the sensitivity and detail her sensor capabilities and prevent them from being jammed or interfered with. Andre had been the one to suggest the upgrade after their latest ordeal that had brought them over here in the first place, but his computer skills extended about as far as turning things on and off when they didn't work. Besides there was no reason why they couldn't since they were all just sitting around twiddling their thumbs and trying to fill the time anyway until G.U. told them what to do next. Those of them who were staying at least. Harry was in a guest area Skyping with his wife back home. Andre was now sitting back drinking some fruity alcoholic drink in a chair off to the side while Alex and Noia worked to install the upgrade. Finally Alex came over from under the hood and leaned with his arms on the open windowsill.

"Okay Terra how is it?" Alex asked and Abigail sat up on her elbows and watched the display light up with diagrams flickering across the screen. Abigail could immediately see the problem. Evidently some wires weren't connected properly and were sending out error messages. Leaning farther into the cabin he stared at the diagrams for a few seconds before backing up with a frown on his lips. Grumbling under his breath he went back to work as Noia stepped aside and came to the passenger side window. Abigail leaned back against the seat and tilted her head back slightly to look at the tall machine.

"If you need a place to rest the inside of a military vehicle is perhaps not the most comfortable place to do so," Noia commented his solid blue eyes staring down at her, his voice sounded strangely lifelike but still carried a clear electronic tinge. Abigail shrugged and looked away from him. The truth was that she couldn't sleep anywhere else. Not peacefully at least. She had been on edge ever since the missile attack at the base and being next to or inside Terra was the one place she felt truly safe. She had been sitting on Terra's hood at the time when she suddenly prompted the soldier to get inside the cabin. They weren't able to get any damage reports from what happened and they didn't know how many lives had been lost or how many were injured. Not knowing what had happened to her fellow soldiers was driving her crazy. Sure Abigail was interested in helping out G.U. and continuing to work with Terra but she still wanted some answers.

"Noia... could you do me a favor?" Abigail tilted her head back to look at him. "Can you find out what happened to the rest of the soldiers on the base? I have to know how many of them are ok and how many are..." she stopped and swallowed hard. Sitting up suddenly she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I'm grateful that G.U. was able to get us out of there and I'm happy that Terra thought enough of us to save our lives but I just... I just need to know what happened to the others. I need some kind of closure," she finished softly and silence fell between them. When Noia didn't answer she twisted around and saw him handing a bag through the window.

"Terra informs me that you have not had a sufficient meal in at least three days and requests that I not give you any information until you have eaten something and eaten a fair portion of it. Although I disagree with the choice of sustenance as fried rice and shrimp doused in various sauces and of this high a calorie count does not seem entirely healthy for an organic life form such as yourself. However if it will get you to eat then I'll gladly get you some more," he stated calmly and put the bag on the seat. Abigail scowled and glared at the display screen.

"Give me information and then I'll eat," she countered and a message popped up on Terra's display in response.

_Start eating and then Noia will start giving you what information he has. Until then I hold your info hostage, _Terra countered putting up an image of a lock on the screen. Abigail sighed heavily and dragged the food over closer.

"Thanks Noia. If there's soda around anywhere I would appreciate some," she added hopefully. Noia nodded and left, presumably to go see if he could find her any soda to drink. Abigail grabbed the chopsticks and pulled them out of the simple paper packaging and broke them apart. Thankfully she had plenty of experience with using them so it wasn't long before she was hungrily stuffing food into her mouth. She really was a lot hungrier then she initially realized.

Charts and names started to pop up on Terra's screen showing who was dead and who was alive. There were more alive then she expected but not as many as she had hoped. Her spirits rose when she saw that some of her close partners were still alive and being flown back to the states for treatment.

"So I know that must have been all over the news. A major terrorist attack on a US military base. Who is investigating?" Abigail asked swallowing her food and her discomfort along with it. "I mean it _is_ being investigated right?" she said more urgently worried that the incident would be simply branded a terrorist attack, given a few passionate words by some politician and then swept under a rug.

_It is indeed being investigated by the United States government and by the country it took place in. That is where we come in, _Terra added and Abigail immediately perked up at that.

"Really? Do they want us to go back?" she pressed as Andre and Alex both lifted their heads as her words caught their attention.

_I may be working for the United States government at the moment but I was conceptualized and built by G.U. more or less. They officially have the final word in how their A.I. and A-life programs are used. Evidence suggests that the attack was due to someone they have been hunting down for a while. Therefore their desires overlap with that of the military. After a thorough diagnostic checkup we are to leave right away to go back and begin collecting evidence from the base and then track down where the missiles were fired from to see what clues I can pick up there. Noia will be coming with us this time as well, _Terra explained and Abigail relayed the information to the guys.

"Hey I'm in!" Andre said eagerly. "I mean those were people we knew. People we saw and worked with. I'm happy for those that survived but for those that didn't..." he stopped and shook his head. "I don't want to leave this in someone else's hands. We have a chance to help track down what happened then I say we go and do it. This is what Terra is built for after all. Besides we'll have Noia and those massive robots Atlas and Titan out there to back us up as well," he said confidently. Alex nodded in agreement as he used a towel to wipe the grease off his hands.

"I'm with Andre. I'd feel better getting out there and doing something. If I had to be laid up in a hospital I'd want to know that someone was out there trying to figure out what happened and make sure justice was done," Alex firmly stated.

"Looks like we're all in Terra... I mean obviously we're in since we agreed to join G.U. in the first place but you know what I mean. How is the U.S. handling this by the way? I mean are we still officially with them or...?" she trailed off not knowing how it all was supposed to work out.

_You are still officially with the United States government for the remaining years of your active enlistment. Andre's and Alex's active enlistment period is up in six months. Abigail's in seven. Additional time was added to your active enlistment time since you all received special training once you were selected to work as my team. Once your active enlistment is up the remaining years of your reserve duty will be transferred to G.U. You will be obligated to work for them for another four years. Primarily doing searching and tracking work like we have been doing. Only with less explosives thrown our way hopefully, _Terra explained to them and then there was brief pause before more words popped up on screen.

_This was all in the contract you know, although someone apparently didn't read all of it. They didn't even have any fine print. It was all explicitly stated there you know, _she added throwing up a frowning face on the screen.

"Hey I read it! I just wanted to make sure things hadn't changed. That happens you know," Abigail shot back as a familiar metallic click came closer. Noia appeared in the passenger side window and handed her a fizzy pink soda with dancing strawberries on it.

"I found this in the lounge. I hope it is sufficient," he said handing it over to her. Abigail thanked him and popped open the cap. Although it made her food taste a bit funny afterwards it still had just the right balance of sweetness.

"So until then we just take it easy, Skype with the family and wait until you're finished being checked over so we can be re-deployed?" Abigail asked and Terra beeped affirmatively.

_All three of you are qualified to oversee and perform extensive diagnostics so whenever you want to get started..._ Terra trailed off pointedly and Abigail rolled her eyes.

"All right, all right we get it. Just let me finish eating and let the guys finish hooking up your new voice box and we'll get started," Abigail mumbled around a mouthful of shrimp and rice. "And I am totally going out and getting some real sushi at least once while we're still here in Japan. This is too good of a chance to pass up," she added as Alex and Andre went back to work. Well Alex did at least. Andre went back to sit down and sip his drink.

While part of her was apprehensive the other part of her was eager to get back out in the field and start working again. Working with G.U. was certainly going to be interesting.

* * *

><p>Shino closed the video chat and leaned back in her chair, relieved to know that her parents and other friends were all doing okay. She had already known that they were going to have to stay out here on this ship for quite a while longer but she was secretly hoping that maybe, just maybe they would be able to dock sooner then that. Or get a helicopter ride back to Japan. Something.<p>

"At least we have plenty of food. Right guys?" Shino asked looking down at the two rottweilers clustered around her feet. At least she got to keep the dogs. Raiden and Mera had stuck with her while Nezumiiro was off with Masato somewhere. His condition had greatly improved since the collapse and restructuring of the network and now he was almost back to his old self. Almost. There was still some emotional and mental healing for him to do but over all he was looking and acting better than ever before.

"Come on you guys let's see if I can find you something to eat," Shino said and laughed as both dogs lifted their heads and then shot to their feet at the promise of food. The aircraft carrier was huge and there was plenty to explore. Most of it had been re-purposed so that the A.I. systems who controlled the ship could do their work and experiments without having to rely on any outside help. However, there were rooms available for them to sleep in as well as a secure satellite connection so they could get on the network. Much of it still was pretty unstable but she could at least watch the news and download some ebooks to read. A whine and a dog muzzle nudging her leg got her going again.

"Okay, okay I know you're hungry. I'm moving," Shino said standing up and heading out of the room. Both dogs immediately moved into their usual positions. One walking in front of her and one behind her down the cramped hallways. Thankfully the kitchen and eating area was a good size. Shino had already been hunting around and looking around so she already knew where most of the stuff was. Plus if all else failed then the on-board A.I. was ready and willing to help. Going into the kitchen itself she told the dogs to wait and they obediently laid down and watched as she headed pulled out a pan and turned one of the burners on the stove on. She went over to the huge refrigerator and pulled out a large container of meat scraps. These together with a bit of broth would make for a nice meal. Certainly better than the dry bowls of dog food they had been getting so far.

Raw meat might be fine but Shino didn't want to take chances especially out here in the ocean with no land for miles around. Once it was cooked enough she mixed everything up once more time and separated it into three bowls and put two of them on the floor away from each other. If her timing was right then Masato should be coming back here any minute to get something for Nezumiiro.

"Now you can get up and eat," she said and immediately the dogs jumped to their feet and ran over to eat.

"Shino? Are you in here?" Masato's voice called out as toenails clicked rapidly on the tile floors. As she expected a large german shepherd came barreling around the corner tail wagging rapidly as he smelled food in the air.

"Yes, Nezumiiro I thought of you too," Shino laughed and rubbed behind his ears before putting a bowl of food down for him. His tail happily thumped against the cabinets as he ate and Shino moved around him so all the dogs could eat in peace. Masato was hanging back by the door watching. It was good to see him with a smile back on his face again.

"Hey! Did you need something? You have that look in your eyes that you always used to get in The World when you had news for us," Shino said suspiciously as Masato's eyes twinkled.

"It would seem that the Epitaph's have thrown together a bit of a welcome home party for Corbenik. Something to make him feel welcome back at G.U. and with them after everything that's happened. They have information on what happened with Aura as well. We're invited along with Corbenik so I thought you might want to go. There are some headsets up in the main tower. All we have to do is put the headsets on and go to the darknet site set up just for this occasion," Masato offered sounding excited about the occasion.

"I'd be honored to join. If nothing else Corbenik could probably use some moral support," Shino said glancing over her shoulder to see if the dogs were done. "Let me dump those in the sink with some soap and I'll be right there. Why don't you go ahead and get things set up?" she suggested and Masato nodded and whistled sharply. Nezumiiro looked up and immediately darted back to his side. Raiden hesitated for a moment before going as well. Mera stayed at Shino's side like glue as expected.

Once the bowls were in the sink and soaping up Shino wiped her hands on her pants and looked around. To be honest the idea of seeing and being around the Epitaph's made her more then a little uncomfortable even though she knew they weren't going to hurt her. A.I.'s, hackers, coma's, another network crisis, and now floating out in the middle of the ocean while their criminal cases were dealt with both in Japan and internationally in Masato's case. It was still a lot to take in.

It was a long climb up the stairs to the top of the control tower but at least she was getting some exercise. When she finally got up there to the top she stopped and looked around. Masato was there at a bank of computers with two headsets set on the keyboards in front of each monitor. Taking a deep breath, Shino walked over and took a seat beside him. She didn't realize how nervous she was until he reached over and grabbed her hand.

"Are you ready for this? If you would rather not then I understand," Masato offered and for a moment Shino did consider it but she knew she had to do this, wanted to do this.

"No, I'll be okay. Let's go see the others," Shino said putting on a smile that was bolder then how she really felt. Letting go of his hand she took the headset in front of her and put it on over her head. The software logo flashed cheerily before disappearing and transporting them online.

* * *

><p>"You look fine, Corbenik. Really," Aura said with a reassuring smile. Corbenik said nothing and instead fidgeted once more. Already he had apologized to her more times then he could count and Aura had kindly assured him each time that she was not upset with him and reminded the Epitaph that he had no choice in the matter. It was a stroke of fortune that G.U. had managed to save her at all. Her data had started crumbling away faster then it could be repaired and Skeith had absorbed her and her power in a last ditch effort to save some part of her and also gain an advantage over Corbenik. It worked and the network was coming back online bit by bit with few to no problems other then stability issues. Gorre had extracted Aura's data from Skeith and Magus had stood by helping to put her back together just the way she was before. While Aura's feelings about the current world situation and humans in general was known only to her, she had expressed her deep gratitude towards G.U. for helping her. If anything she would probably be perfectly content to just disappear completely for a while and keep to herself without being bothered or having people beg her for help. If so then G.U. seemed content to give her the space that she wanted.<p>

As far as Corbenik went he no longer bore the scars from his enslavement to Aihane. His body was now covered in rough blue hued shark scales and the shark skull and spine along his back now had a very slight blue hue to it was well and the inside the skull glowed a soft white instead of the inky blackness of AIDA corruption. A long tail also hung behind him with sharp curved fins. No more stitches lined his body and the gnawing hunger that had plagued him before was gone. Finally he felt entirely whole again in a way that he hadn't in a very, very long time. Before Aihane it was Tri-Edge but now he was complete. A nervous wreck but complete.

"They invited you here for a reason. They invited Masato and Shino here for a reason. You are welcome here Corbenik and they want you to know that. Maybe you've been an outcast before but that doesn't mean you have to be now. You're among friends," Aura added gently and Corbenik nodded and fumbled with his rough webbed hands again.

"Oh! Here they are!" Aura said and Corbenik flinched and looked up hesitantly as data tears appeared and each of the other Epitaphs slid into the open space. Skeith was the first to come up to him and he couldn't help but shrink a bit under The Death Reaper's red eyed gaze. The first and the last finally together again. Not as opponents this time but as allies. Once again Corbenik's eyes had shifted down to his feet but the silence stretched on for so long that he finally had no choice but to look up.

To his surprise, Skeith was holding a hand out to him.

"Corbenik..." he started slowly, "...welcome home."

* * *

><p>Ryou leaned back in the chair and let out a deep breath. The welcome home "party" was done and he had gotten a chance to speak with Masato again. It was more then a little uncomfortable but thankfully Chigusa and Shino had helped to make it a lot less awkward until finally they had managed to keep a conversation going on their own at which point the girls had left them both to themselves. It felt strange being in his presence again, especially since he was wearing his old Ovan avatar. Ryou had tried his best to convey that he had forgiven Masato but he wasn't entirely sure how well it went over. Both had promised to keep in touch and Ryou promised to forward some good books to read since there wasn't much else for them to do out in the middle of the ocean. Masato and Shino had obviously grown closer and Ryou was happy for them. It was better then seeing both of them dance around each other that's for sure.<p>

"You okay?"

He looked up and saw Chigusa standing there in a tank top and long pajama pants.

"Yeah just thinking about everything," Ryou said shifting position a bit as she came and curled up next to him. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his nose in her hair. Finally the knot of worry and anxiety inside of him began to uncoil.

"I'm tired and not just physically," he admitted and he felt her nod in agreement.

"I know what you mean. It's been a long year hasn't it? Now we focus on recovery and on keeping the governments from breathing too closely down our necks. You know they're going to be so pissed off at us for what we've done," Chigusa said but then paused a moment. "Not that I really care, I mean everything we did was for the best but still I don't blame them for being freaked out. I mean we're basically that organization that creates the super intelligent artificial intelligence system and kicks off the robot apocalypse and everything. Or I am at least since all these machines flying around are mine and all," she pointed out and Ryou hummed and rubbed her back in slow circles.

"We won't be that. Hopefully not at least. I think of all the people who could done it you are the best person possible. I happen to remember a person who was far more cheerful then necessary being determined to be nice to me in The World until she won me over," he reminded her and Chigusa grinned and shifted to look up at him.

"I was so annoying wasn't it?"

"You have no idea," Ryou said kissing her forehead. She smiled and rested her head back down on him.

"We've both changed so much since then. For the better I'd like to think although I have to admit that I do still worry about having so much... potential? Capability? I mean was watching video of a fight that Atlas and Titan got into protecting some new recruits and... honestly it scared me to know that I had created something with that amount of raw power," Chigusa said with small shudder. Instead of speaking up he let the silence hang for a moment until she finally pushed up off him and stared at him expectantly.

"Hey, I'm just saying when the robots do take over they'll do it in the nicest and most politely annoying way ever," Ryou teased and Chigusa scowled and smacked his chest lightly.

"That's not funny."

"Yes it is," Ryou countered tugging her back down. Chigusa huffed but curled back up with him and sighed.

"We're going to make it aren't we?"

"Of course we are. Like it or not you're stuck with me now and I promise I'm going to be the best husband and best friend possible. With only slight grumbling and complaining along the way."

"Only slight?"

"You've got Innis backing you up after all. If I get out of line there's no telling what she'll do to me."

"Oh very nice point. Skeith has gotten pretty protective of me as well," Chigusa noted. "So what now? Vacation? Work? ...kids"?" she threw in the last one more hesitantly. Both of them stared at each other for a moment before grimacing. They were both barely out of their teens after all.

"Why don't we revisit that idea in a couple years?" Chigusa said quickly and Ryou hurriedly agreed with her.

"Yeah, that sounds much better," Ryou silently made a request and Skeith obliged by dimming the lights and turning some music on for them.

"Thank you Skeith," Chigusa said appreciatively. "What about Ren and Kisho? Do you think they know that we've been married for two months already?" she asked curiously.

"Knowing them they're probably placing bets on it," he pointed out.

"Hmm, you're right. Well, here's to the future. May we face it bravely and with confidence."

"And with the people we love at our side," Ryou added earning a pleased hum and a kiss on the cheek from Chigusa. It was finally over, things would be heating up again before long but for now things had turned out all right. They had earned themselves some breathing room and relaxation and he intended to sit back and enjoy it for as long as possible.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>IT IS DONE. The chapter is done, the story is over, the series is ended. I'm not making any sequels to this one, this is truly the end. Although I will finally be updating Sky Kings and maybe doing some Destiny one shots as well. To those who have been reading thank you! To those patient enough to wait a year for this chapter thank you even more! May all your stories go well for you!


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